Dirty Pretty Things - Loin de chez eux

SYNOPSIS

The ever-versatile Stephen Frears provides a distinctive portrait of illegal immigrants living a hidden, knife-edge existence in London in this insightful drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor is all soulful integrity as Okwe, a Nigerian taxi driver who moonlights as a night porter in a hotel, while Amélie's Audrey Tautou elicits sympathy as a downtrodden Turkish asylum seeker. Well framed by accomplished cinematographer Chris Menges, Frears's depiction of a seedy London is impressive, though the script's intrusive thriller elements - such as oily hotel manager Sergi Lopez's illegal trade in donor organs - dent the film's overall credibility. Strict naturalism was clearly never the film's main intention, since some of its characters, particularly the dogged immigration authorities, teeter on the brink of caricature. However, the poignant closing scene aside, the final act isn't easy to take seriously, which is a great shame.