So many British films are costume dramas or gangster movies that it’s a real pleasure to see a work that focuses on the modern and very real challenges of an immigrant community. Where "East Is East" dealt with a Pakistani family and "Bend It Like Beckham" had an Indian focus, "Brick Lane" – based on the Booker-nominated novel by Monica Ali – addresses the life of a teenage girl from a village in Bangladesh (scenes actually shot in a beautiful-looking India) who is married off to a much older compatriot living in the eponymous area of east London.
So much is fresh and feminine here: most of the roles are for women and newcomer Tannishta Chatterjee, as the central character Nazneen, is excellent, often conveying so much simply with her eyes; Sarah Gavron is assured in her first directing role; the writing credits go to Ali herself and two other women; while the original score comes from Jocelyn Pook and the haunting singing from Natacha Atlas. This is a measured and intimate work that is more about different types of love and religion than it is about the Bangaleshi community itself.
Left: Debjani Deb as Young Nazneen Right: Kusimika Neager as Young Hasina
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen and Satish Kaushik as Chanu
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Christopher Simpson as Karim and Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Left: Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Satish Kaushik as Chamu
Left: Christopher Simpson as Karim
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Lalita Ahmed as Mrs Islam
Left to Right: Lana Rahman as Bibi, Naeema Begum as Shahana, Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen and Satish Kaushik as Chanu
Left: Satish Kaushik as Chanu Right: Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Christopher Simpson as Karim
Left: Director Sara Gavron Right: Tannishtha Chatterjee
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Tannishtha Chatterjee as Nazneen
Left to Right: Tannishtha Chatterjree as Nazneen, Lana Rahman as Bibi, Satish Kaushik as Chanu, and Naeema Begum as Shahana
