moviexclusive It's been more than 10 years since the film version of Ayub Khan-Din's semi-autobiographical story about the tale of a mixed-race British household in Salford, Lancashire in the early 1970s. "East is East" was the title of the film, the intercultural comedy a hit during a time when British Asians were making their mark on pop culture- and films like "Bend It Like Beckham" and "The Guru" became unexpected successes at the box office. Why this sequel has taken this long is perplexing, and why they eventually made it even more so, considering how it is no more than a flaccid attempt at replicating the success of its predecessor.Again penned by Khan-Din, 'West is West' takes place some five years after the first film, and starts off in Britain where the youngest son of the family, Sajid (newcomer Agib Khan) is turning to rebellion to counter the racist bullying he gets from his fellow schoolmates and the admonishments he receives from his parochial father George (Om Puri). Exasperated, the father decides to bring him back to Pakistan to teach him some old-fashioned values and to give him a sense of history and belonging. Their ancestral village in the Punjab is where this coming- of-age tale is largely set, though this is also precisely where the film starts to go very quickly downhill.For the first 15 mins, Khan-Din and director Andy de Emmony successfully recapture the verve of the politically incorrect first film which made it such a hilarious cross-cultural comedy delight- Jahingar's over- protective ways with Sajid and a daft headmaster at Sajid's school are the highlights. But the change in location takes away what teeth the biting comedy had in the first place, and even the occasional sharp line (like 'F**k off, Mowgli' to a local kid who tries to befriend Sajid) disappears altogether once Sajid begins to settle into the rhythm of the local village life.In its place is a contrived story involving Sajid's lessons with the village wise man Pir Naseem (Nadim Sawalha), as the latter urges him to recognise his lineage and to find his direction in life. Naturally, Sajid does, even though it takes some time before he summons the respect for his father. Sajid's coming-of-age is frankly a bore, one that seems obligatory and nowhere near as moving or as engaging as it should be. Faring slightly better are two other parallel story lines- the first about George's older son Maneer (Emil Marwa) and his search for a bride; and the second about George's reconciliation with his first wife and his daughters whom he left behind in Pakistan some 30 years ago.In particular, the latter is anchored by Om Puri's strong performance, portraying the angst and guilt his character feels within him for abandoning his previous family with only the occasional correspondence as well as a regular stipend from England. This predicament also forms the basis of the film's most poignant moment, when George's English wife Ella (Linda Bassett) meets his first (Ila Arun) and proceeds to engage in a conversation that conveys each other's inner anguish despite not being able to understand the other's language. Bassett and Arun are uniformly excellent in their roles, and you can't help but empathise with both at the same time.Yet the emotional impact of this exchange is ultimately dulled by a film that meanders too long and too aimlessly for its own good. There is little to be learnt or enjoyed in this intercultural movie, a sequel that loses the jocular and irreverent tone of the first film. It doesn't matter if you're from the East, or from the West- this is one boring affair whichever side of the continent you hail from. www.moviexclusive.com

rtaron The best thing about this movie is the jewel-like character development of each participant. The humour is great and does not deteriorate into slapstick like similar movies. Unlike some reviewers, I found this funny, touching, believable and authentic.Aqib Khan is rebellious and defiant for legitimate reason. His father has gone through life selfishly, always calling his sons 'little bastards'. His transformation is sweet but not syrupy.Om Puri does a great job; this script allows him to be more serious than other roles he has played.Linda Bassett, as always, gives a stellar performance. The Nana Mouskouri look-alike (can't find her name) is priceless.This is a movie that flows well, with no long boring sequences or crazy events. It relies on good writing, acting, photography and direction, as all great movies should.

musanna-ahmed The plot of West is West is the cinematic equivalent of a car ride – it drives quickly (to Pakistan), runs out of petrol upon reaching its number one destination, and then the characters refill it for the rest of the journey. In other terms – the film picks up pace very quickly at the start, almost as if deliberately rushing Sajid off to Pakistan. When at Pakistan, it's about 15-20 minutes into the film and an hour and a half remains so the whole plot (which is primarily Sajid's issue in England that apparently will be fixed by his father's tyrannical insistence of adapting to the environment in the Punjab) has to be stretched over that time. That is when it begins to lack the lustre it began with as it moves a lot slower than the time in England. Then the characters and a subplot of the brother Maneer in an engagement/marriage situation uplift the film mightily and the overall result is positive.It's a positive result but not the best. There are blemishes in the camel coloured land. Obviously not literal ones (in the sense of blemishes on appearances) which are visible to the naked eye because the location choice is brilliant; Pakistan is recreated in a realistic landscape even though it is reported that it was filmed in India. The faults of the film can be detected when observing the pace of the film. One was, like stated in the second paragraph, the pace of the plot when the family reach Pakistan. Another was Sajid. Newcomer Aqib Khan is a great substitute for Jordan Routledge as the runt of the Khan litter. But he is infected with a flaw that is his abrupt shifting between scenes. For example, we first see him heavily insult the character Zaid and mere seconds later we see him listening to his command of following him as if they have bonded as friends instantaneously. And the third was the editing decisions. The film strikes a good balance between emotion and humour but it's erratic. One – the cross cutting between Sajid and George alters between funny and serious. Two – there's a pivotal scene where both Mrs Khan's are involved in a conversation that turn their relations from heated to cordial, but it's one of the best scenes in the film.They are the main negatives of the film, as a standalone, that come into mind. Yes, it can be classed as a standalone – it isn't necessary to have seen East is East in order to grasp the story because the past events aren't recapped or looked at again but having seen East is East will enlighten the experience and an understanding of the marriage theme and the characters from that film will be on hand. West is West has a completely different story that arguably qualifies it as a standalone. It's accepted as a sequel as a bonus because of some of the recurring characters, screenwriter, and producer that were BAFTA nominated and therefore made their names in the British film industry for East is East and hence reprised their roles in West in West to create something of that great standard.West is West unfortunately isn't of the great standard set eleven years ago but that doesn't mean it isn't an enjoyable film. Whilst East is East is the more lively film, West is West is the one carried a lot more sentimentally. Despite his quick mood changes, Aqib Khan is terrific as Sajid. The classic one-liners – "Not old enough to get married so don't ask!" – have been upgraded to ones that would just be of a teenage kid's and are nailed by Khan such as "You can f*ck off and all, Mowgli!" By saying that they're of a teenage kid's, expect heavy use of swearing and not just from Sajid. The rest of the cast is brilliant, especially Om Puri as the seriously funny (oxymoron intended) George Khan. Unlike in East is East, his character develops throughout the film culminating in someone who could look back and notice a great change in himself. There is also a definite development in Sajid as he steadily learns to adapt to the Pakistani culture. The themes of the film are excellent. This time, it isn't just about marriage – it also has the themes of culture. West is West tells a story that demonstrates how we should be tolerant to the environment in the sense that we live in a multi-cultural society. People from different cultures live together and if not deeply, we should at least broadly learn to appreciate our cultural differences. An underlying theme of the film is respect – how we should respect the other cultures and people, on the whole. The dominant reason for Sajid being sent to Pakistan is to learn to respect his progenitor. Whilst it won't have the same replay value nor be as big of a word-of-mouth hit as East is East, West is West has very enjoyable content on offer that might not fulfil the expectations of those willing for it to raise the bar that East is East set for future films of the same kind, but can satisfy an audience and leave the impression of it being a good film if not great. With a heart and sheer amusement, it's certainly not a sequel flop.Verdict: "The original is always better" has become a common remark in the film industry when comparing a sequel or a remake. In this case, that is true but as a fresh film, West is West is a delight to watch. And because the original is always better, don't go in to see something on par or criticise because of the inferiority. Think of the overall film as the cinematic equivalent of a baby – it has roots but it's something new.

colin_coyne WEST IS WEST, directed by ANDY DE EMMONY continues on from the 1999 hit film East is East (which was set in 1971).It is now 1976, in Salford, Manchester, England, and remaining members of the Khan family soldier on through their in-house, on-going struggle of the elder family members tradition Pakistani values and beliefs vs. the youngsters who were born in Britain and have an avid acceptance into the British culture … In the midst of this turmoil is the story of Sajid the youngest of the children who is now a teenager and is enduring some serious bullying at school … Many of the original cast from East is East make a welcome return including OM PURI as George Khan, LINDA BASSETT as Ella, JIMI MISTRY, as Tariq, LESLEY NICOL as Auntie Annie, and EMIL MARWA as Maneer and the film introduces a new face to the ongoing Khan family story AQIB KHAN as Sajid Khan.George Khan is still very much acting as the family dictator – enforcing his beliefs upon his family – much to their disdain … it is especially bad for Sajid and events soon come to a head, and George believes it would benefit him to take a trip to Pakistan to instill some much needed cultural discipline … in fact most of the film is set in rural Pakistan … Sajid, as expected, is uncomfortable and feels very much out of place in Pakistan … and has much difficulty in fitting in … the surprise however comes in the dramatic change that comes over George when he sees Mrs Khan No 1 (played very convincingly by ILA ARUN) and family in the Punjab, these are the wife and daughters he had abandoned 30 years earlier when he left to go to England. We soon discover that it is actually George who is most changed by the visit.Pretty soon, George decides to make up for some of his many, many shortcomings and decides to build a house and re-work the land … Sajid finally starts to bond with some friends … The pace of the film slows a little at this point … but only for a short while that is, until the ominous arrival from England of Ella Khan (Mrs Khan No 2), along with the hilarious Auntie Annie who swiftly follow to sort out the mess George has created – both past and present There is an especially good scene between the two Mrs. Khans (past and present) … who have a very moving dialogue (one only speaking Punjhabi, the other only English) … but all that needs to be said is expressed with emotion and body language … it is superbly acted, and to me … it's the best moment in the film I found WEST TO WEST to be an enjoyable, moving sequel – and recommend it highly … especially likable to those that enjoyed EAST is EAST.WEST IS WEST is 102mins long, is a 15 certificate and will be on general release from Friday 25th February 2011