I had seen the earlier film, East is East, though I didn't remember it till I visited this site. So I enjoyed this picture all on its own.And it stands on its own quite well. I found it well written, well acted and a fascinating look into traditional Pakistani culture. Lately all one hears of Pakistan is war and conflict. So it was a real pleasure to see the people through their own eyes.I thought the acting was superlative especially the Mr. Khan and his wives, though young Sajid does an excellent job and has much to do in the movie.I thought it was terrific. I liked that a message in it is that in matters of the heart we are all pretty much the same. Outstanding

East is East was a very enjoyable movie, with a great cast and a perfect balance between the funny and the poignant. West is West is a more than worthy successor. I agree some of the secondary characters were little more than caricatures and while there are some funny moments both visually and in the script, some of the humour does for my tastes get rather slapsticky. That said, it is a good-looking film and has a great well-paced story complete with a well-observed look at the cultural divide. The soundtrack appeals, the script sparkles with a number of moving and identifiable scenes and West is West is directed beautifully. Once again, Om Puri and Linda Bassett are outstanding in the leads, and while a brat at first Sajid wins you over in the end. Jimi Mistry's cameo was neat but all too brief. Overall, worthy sequel and a very good film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The movie addresses the old topic of identity crisis of people living abroad. As a Pakistani living abroad, I could totally relate to it. All the actors and the director have done a great job. I don't know why the movies was not nominated for Oscars?There are plenty of moving scenes and perfect depiction of emotions. A touch of mysticism in Pakistani culture adds a sublime flavor to the theme of the movie as well. The plot is very close to reality and the script is spot on. All of this mixed with exhilarating sufi soudtrack touches your soul. The movie is a treat to watch - extremely indulging. One of the best movies I have seen recently.Highly recommended!

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