A Fond Kiss

I never write about movies or endorse movies publically but I saw this movie over the weekend that I really liked quite a bit.

Movie is called "A Fond Kiss". I think it's a Scottish movie. About a Pakistani-Scottish boy and his family (who settled there over 35 years ago). It's about how he falls in love with a white, Catholic girl, his sense of family duty and responsibility, his family's expectations of him, his sisters' stories (more briefly shown than his), etc. It also looks at the Catholic girl's side of the story, her hurdles, desires, & perspective.

Now some of you may be thinking, oh here is another one of those first generation children's stories. In many ways it is. But it was done in such a beautiful way. It's so real...not sappy or over the top. While there are stereotypes used, this is perhaps the first movie that shows "both" sides of the story...looking at it from the eastern perspective as well as the western perspective. The dialogue is thought provoking. All of us can identify with the many, if not all of the scenes. It does not have a "happy happy joy joy" ending. We see the impact of one person's actions on those around him/her.

All in all, one of those movies which realistically (although stereotypically) touches on many of the issues faced by immigrant families and their children who have grown up in the west. While I liked the satirical nature of East is East (dig back in your memories a few years back), this movie was more "down to earth" and simply presented the story with very real characters. Definitely a movie I'd recommend, especially to those of us who are first generation whatevers.

Thank you Sim for renting it!