"DIRTY PRETTY THINGS"
(2003) (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Heavy	Extreme	Mild	None
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	Mild	None	Extreme
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Extreme	Mild	Minor	Heavy	Mild

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QUICK TAKE:

Drama: Several immigrants try to live their clandestine lives in London while dealing with the discovery of an organ donor ring that's being run out of the posh hotel where they work.

PLOT:

Okwe (CHIWETEL EJIOFOR) is an illegal Nigerian immigrant who works in a posh London hotel run by Juan (SERGI LOPEZ). Despite being a doctor, the only jobs Okwe can get are driving cabs and running the hotel night desk where he works with doorman Ivan (ZLATKO BURIC) and often sees local hooker Juliette (SOPHIE OKONEDO) passing through.

When he's not working, he hangs out with his Chinese friend, Guo Yi (BENEDICT WONG), who works in the local morgue, and shares an apartment with Turkish immigrant Senay (AUDREY TAUTOU) who's a daytime maid at the same hotel. She's quite skittish about immigration officials and doesn't want anyone to know she and Okwe are sharing a flat, despite nothing romantic happening between them.

Things take an interesting turn when Okwe discovers a human heart in a guest room's toilet. Juan tells him to mind his own business, but Okwe soon uncovers a black market organ donor ring that's being run out of the hotel. In exchange for forged passports and other immigration papers, illegal immigrants "donate" organs needed by sick people.

With immigration officials closing in on both of them, Okwe and Senay attempt to avoid them, all while trying to figure out how to deal with the organ donor ring and its complicated consequences.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Older teenagers might be interested in it, as might anyone who's a fan of director Stephen Frears or someone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R

For sexual content, disturbing images and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR plays an illegal immigrant African doctor who works the nightshift at the front desk of a London hotel and befriends Senay. When he uncovers the underground organ "donor" activities, he must choose what to do (helping himself and those who need the organs or passports from Juan, or turning him in to the authorities). He also takes some sort of "upper" herb to keep himself awake.

AUDREY TAUTOU plays a Turkish woman who works as a maid in a London hotel and is always on the run from immigration authorities. She befriends Okwe and has sex with Juan against her will.

SERGI LOPEZ plays the hotel manager who drinks, uses strong profanity, coerces Senay into having sex with him and deals in organs and fake passports.

BENEDICT WONG plays an Asian coroner who's befriended Okwe and gives him various forms of advice as well as a place to stay.

SOPHIE OKONEDO plays the local hooker who has sex with Ivan and smokes.

ZLATKO BURIC plays the Russian doorman at the hotel who sex with Juliette.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

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Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

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OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 17 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also used. Occasional, sexually related dialogue is present (some of it's explicit), two scenes of intercourse are partially seen (in head and shoulders shots with movement and sounds) and oral sex is implied just off camera. Brief partial nudity is present.

There are varying degrees of bad attitudes on display, while various characters smoke and/or drink (and one takes some sort of "upper" herb to keep him awake). Some brief violence occurs, and there are some bloody/gory scenes involving a black market organ donor ring. Thematic issues involve that, the plight of immigrants and a brief bit about the morning after pill.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

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ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Juan drinks from a mini bottle of booze.

Okwe and Senay have wine with dinner.

Juliette says she wants to have a drink first before servicing a client.

Okwe repeatedly takes some sort of herb that we hear people use to forget things (he uses it to stay awake). One person warns him that he'll blow his brains out with it.

Juan drinks from a mini-bottle of booze.

Juan pours champagne for Senay and himself.

Juan drinks a beer given to him by Okwe (to take care of shaky hands before surgery).

We see a man who's been drugged (unknowingly) by others.

BLOOD/GORE

Okwe discovers a toilet overflowing. When he goes to unclog it, he stirs up blood in the water, then reaches in, and retrieves a human heart (it's later seen in a plastic bag).

Guo Yi wipes blood from a morgue table.

We briefly see the feet of a cadaver (nothing gross) sticking out from under a sheet.

Juliette has a bit of a bloody nose after being hit there.

We see blood on a man's shirt and then see an open and nasty-looking surgical wound on his side (it's very gory). We later see Okwe pressing a needle (shot) into that man's leg.

We see a scalpel cutting into healthy flesh and see blood come out. We then see another cut and then a surgeon's hands inside the incision and removing a bloody kidney (all of which is rather graphic).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Okwe's taxi boss has been cheating on his wife with an unseen hooker.

Okwe is an illegal immigrant, while Senay breaks the rules by working when she isn't supposed to.

Juan organizes black market organ "donations" in exchange for passports and other things immigrants need.

A man gets rough with a hooker.

Okwe poses as a janitor to steal pharmaceuticals (but does so to save another man's life).

Senay's boss in a sewing factory implies that he'll turn her into the authorities if she doesn't perform sexual acts on him (this happens twice).

Senay steals clothes from the sewing factory.

Juan calls Okwe a "Negro."

Juan comes on to Senay, but she says no. He then says that their previously arranged deal is off if she doesn't have sex with him.

For those opposed to such matters, she later wants the morning after pill just in case (after they do have sex, and Juliet brings her some).

Juan tells Senay that Okwe murdered his (Okwe's) wife in Africa (but we later learn that wasn't exactly the case).

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Blood/Gore" or "Violence" might also be unsettling for some viewers.

While nosing around a hotel room, Okwe hears people enter and then hides in the bathroom shower. He then hears the sound of a man slapping Juliette. Okwe then rushes out to see her punch the man, kick him in the crotch and then spray self-defense spray into his eyes.

Immigration officials scour Senay's place, looking for Okwe. They later show up at the hotel and await Senay's arrival, all while Okwe hopes Ivan can intercept her before she arrives.

GUNS/WEAPONS

None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "What the f*ck /do you know about hearts/are you doing here/is this?" "F*cking asshole," "Where the f*ck did you come from?" "F*cks up," "Well, sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Bitch," "Piss fire" (urinate with pain), "What the hell are you talking about?" "Whores," "Go to hell" and "This is hell."

Juliette has a tattoo.

Okwe poses as a janitor to steal pharmaceuticals (but does so to save another man's life).

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A mild amount of suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 17 "f" words (1 used sexually), 5 "s" words, 1 slang term for male genitals ("c*ck"), 2 hells, 1 ass (used with "hole"), 1 S.O.B., 2 uses of "Jesus" and 1 use of "Oh Jesus."

SEX/NUDITY

Okwe's taxi boss has him come back into a backroom where the man lowers his pants (we don't see anything). What seems like the man wanting oral sex from Okwe is really just the man wanting him to examine his genitals (it turns out the man has V.D.).

Ivan states that Senay is a virgin.

After complaining about something, Juliette (who shows some cleavage after apparently servicing a client) says it's lucky she doesn't work standing up (she's a hooker).

When Okwe asks Guo Yi for some penicillin, the later jokingly wonders if the former has the clap. Later, when Okwe takes that to his boss, the boss shows him three more men who lower their pants (we don't see anything). Okwe then comments that the woman must be popular.

Juliette says she wants to have a drink first before servicing a client.

Ivan goes off to have sex with Juliette. When he tells Okwe they'll be gone for thirty minutes, the hooker says it will be more like five. Later, we see them having sex while standing (in a head and shoulders shot that shows him thrusting and includes his sounds).

Senay's boss in a sewing factory implies that he'll turn her into the authorities (and that she'll be raped in the coed prison every night) if she doesn't perform sexual acts on him. He says he doesn't want to take her virginity, but that he just wants her to help him relax. He adds that she has a beautiful mouth and it's implied that she performs oral sex on him as she squats down out of the camera shot at his crotch.

Senay's boss undoes his belt/pants and she kneels before him. We see his pleasured reaction and hear related sounds, but don't see the actual act. We then hear him scream, apparently from her biting him. She later comments that he made her "suck," but that today "I bit."

We see a woman in her bra.

We see a brief and partial view of Senay's bare breast in her robe.

Juan comes on to Senay, but she says no. He then says that their previously arranged deal is off if she doesn't have sex with him. They then have sex while standing (we just see their heads). When they're done, Juan asks, "It wasn't so bad, no?" and then adds, "I can't believe Okwe never f*cked you." When he learns that he took her virginity, he sarcastically says that if he had known, he would have cut a ribbon. She later wants the morning after pill just in case (and Juliet brings her some).

A hooker comments (about ice and a man) that it "makes you harder."

A woman comments that they're the ones who clean your rooms and "suck your c*cks" (while raising a finger).

SMOKING

Juliet smokes several times, Juan nearly smokes and has a lit cigarette near him, Guo Yi, Senay and Ivan each smoke once and some miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes (one twice with a pipe).

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Juan tells Senay that Okwe murdered his (Okwe's) wife in Africa (but we later learn that wasn't exactly the case).

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

The plight of immigrants in foreign countries.

Black market organ "donation."

People doing what they must for forged passports or citizenship.

Okwe repeatedly takes some sort of herb that we hear people use to forget things (he uses it to stay awake). One person warns him that he'll blow his brains out with it.

The comment that there's nothing as dangerous as a virtuous man.

The morning after pill.

VIOLENCE

While nosing around a hotel room, Okwe hears people enter and then hides in the bathroom shower. He then hears the sound of a man slapping Juliette (resulting in a bloody nose). Okwe then rushes out to see her punch the man, kick him in the crotch and then spray self-defense spray into his eyes.

Senay's boss undoes his belt/pants and she kneels before him. We see his pleasured reaction and hear related sounds, but don't see the actual act. We then hear him scream, apparently from her biting him. She later comments that he made her "suck," but that today "I bit."

Okwe and Juan struggle. Juan pushes him back and then holds a scalpel on him.

Reviewed June 16, 2003 / Posted August 1, 2003

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