Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5763 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-03-10
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk

Brick Lane, adapted from Monica Ali’s much-lauded novel, is the compelling and thought-provoking story of a Bangladeshi woman, Nazneen Ahmed, who is forced into an arranged marriage as a teenager. Separated from her beloved sister and sent to live with her husband in a run-down housing estate in east London, Nazneen’s carefree childhood seems far away. She has two children with her obese fantasist of a husband and the daily grind of housekeeping becomes increasingly difficult to tolerate when the family are harassed by an elderly money-lender.

The demure Nazneen sees the potential for some independence in making jeans for dashing market stallholder, Karim. Gradually the two become embroiled in each other’s affections and Nazneen has to decide where the best balance between duty and happiness lies.

The novel, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, makes an effortless transition to the screen in this well-handled adaptation from director Sarah Gavron. Tannishtha Chatterjee (Nazneen) offers a confident and articulate performance and other leads are skilled in expressing the characters’ multi-faceted layers. --Vivienne Arkley

Special Features
A Conversation with Monica Ali and Hanif Kureishi at the ICA

Exploring Brick Lane

Interview with Sarah Gavron

Interview with Tannishtha Chatterjee and Christopher Simpson

Interview with Satish Kaushik

Theatrical Trailer

Commentary by Sarah Gavron (Director) and Chris Collins (Producer)

Scene Specific commentaries

Synopsis
Monica Ali's best-selling novel comes to the screen in this faithful adaptation, directed by Sarah Gavron, making her feature film debut. Set in the 1980s, BRICK LANE follows the trials and tribulations of a beautiful young Bangladeshi woman—Nazeen--as she arrives in London's East End for an arranged marriage. As time passes by, Nazeen realises she is trapped in a loveless marriage and is soon drawn to another man...

Customer Reviews

Compelling modern drama
Based on Monica Ali' book the movie filming was surrounded by controversy among the bangladeshi community as they perceived the film showed a negative view of their culture.

Nazneen ( Tannishtha Chatterjee ) , is a seventeen girls old who lands in London and she is forced to marry and older man and her life is turned upside down until she meets a younger man she falls in love with him.The cinematography is stunning and the performance of the two main female characters is excellent. Filmed mainly inside a council flat in Brick lane the director never lets the movie feel dark or constricted as is illuminated with frequent flash backs of better days in sunny Bagladesh.

Set in multicultural Britain,this is a compelling contemporary story of love, cultural differences and the divide between East and West.There have been several films that have addressed immigration issues recently but none have done so elegantly.

This was one of the best movies of 2007.

Charming and insightful
This film is lovely to watch - the childhood scenes in Bangladesh particularly so. The film successfully makes you, as an audience, relate to Nazeen whilst also empathizing with the other characters in the film.
As with all films adaptations I wouldn't recommend watching this soon after reading the book - due to the nature of film they can't capture the depth of the novel. It is a bit of a slow burner so I wouldn't recommend this for action lovers. This is great for anyone wanting to see a beautiful and well executed piece of drama.

Toughtful and Compelling
This is a wonderful, thoughtful film after the novel by Monica Ali. Its story deal with the blossoming identity of a young girl from a close-knit rural family into a world which has little bearing to herown reference points.

The sense of loss and ensuing myth of a better world left behind is slowly dissolved as Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee) realises that her own world is being formed through her own experiences in London.

The fates of the main characters combine to create a touching love story and are so also forced to explore cultural identity and personal beliefs. Set against the backdrop of 9/11 this gives the story a powerful message of love explored many ways.

It's not the controverys of those who feel insulted by the themes raised in the novel and film that should overshadow this exceptional work; see and judge for yourself a truly moving encounter.