Comprehensive information and links about Dirty Pretty Things

Dirty Pretty Things This article is about the film Dirty Pretty Things. For the rock band of the same name, see Dirty Pretty Things (band). (2002Dirty Pretty Things is a movie by Stephen Frears, a gritty urban drama about two illegal immigrants in London. It was produced by the Celador Films production company.

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Okwe (played by Chiwetel EjioforDirty Pretty Things is a Nigerian doctor who drives a taxicab during the day and watches the front desk of a hotel by night; he also chews khat (a stimulant) to keep awake and prescribes drugs to men with venereal diseases. Senay (played by star Audrey TautouDirty Pretty Things is a Muslim girl who slaves in a sweatshop under a sexually predatory boss. The two immigrants form a hesitant friendship, but when Fate deals them both bad hands, Senay begins contemplating selling a kidney to get a passport and escape this half-life. Meanwhile, Okwe is pressured to perform that very operation.

Criticism

The film was well received by audiences and critics for its portrayal of the bleak, hand-to-mouth lives of asylum seeking immigrants in London and of the more seedy, criminal aspect that underlies all the glitz and glamour. Reviewers have also pointed out that the plot successfully portrays the personalities of the main characters by forcing them into situations that test their morality and religious convictions.

Some reviewers have suggested that the love affair between Okwe and Senay is an unnecessary aspect of the plot, and that this aspect of their relationship should not have been developed. It has also been pointed out that while the illegal trade of human organs does exist, it is a rare activity and thus the plot is not plausible. There has also been criticism that the film was advertised as an erotic thriller, a label that many viewers do not agree with.