Thursday night I enjoyed my second win of the year and went to see an advanced screening of West is West, courtesy of The Vancouver Sun. West is West is the sequel to the 1999 film, East is East. In the first film, we meet George Khan and his large family. Khan is a Pakistani Muslim who came to England, married Ella, and had seven children with her. That film deals with the culture clash between George and his children who rebel against his traditional values and attempts to arrange their marriages.
In West is West, we see the Khans four years later. Their youngest son, Sajid, is being taunted and bullied at school for being Pakistani. He responds by denying his heritage and hurling insults at his father, who still wants to instil traditional values into the last of his children. George Khan takes his son to Pakistan in an attempt to teach him what it means to be Pakistani. However, Sajid is not the only one who ends up struggling with questions about cultural identity.
I must admit I liked West is West better than the original film. I found the darker elements of East is East difficult to watch and thought of George Khan as truly unlikeable character. Yet, in the sequel, he is portrayed in a much more complex way and it is easy to feel sympathy for him, rather than just dislike. The film is also very funny at times and that makes up for some cliche moments that occur. I would recommend all of you check it out, especially on a grey day that needs some brightening.
Official movie site: http://westiswest.com/