The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)

Before Velvet Goldmine there was Buddha of Suburbia. The coming of age story of Karim an assimilated Indian in London during the swinging seventies. Winner of seven international film awards. Soundtrack by David Bowie.Running Time: 238 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/BBC UPC: 883929014323 Manufacturer No: 1000037775 Product Description

Finally on DVD

"The Buddha of Suburbia"

Finally on DVD

Amos Lassen

We finally get one of my favorite movies on DVD, "The Buddha of Suburbia". It has amazing performances and Naveen Andrews shows us depth in his characterization of a young man coming to terms with his identity in the world of the 1970's that is going through rapid changes.
Set in England, the film spans a decade, from the early 70's to the 80's when Margaret Thatcher became prime minister of Great Britain. We experience the rise of the Indo-British and see and feel their dreams, their hopes and how they want to belong to a culture of their own. The film deals with race relations, social issues, morality and politics and Karim (Andrews) is at the center.
The direction is slick and the photography is beautiful and the plot developments range from the bizarre to the plausible. As Karim comes face to face with the issues of the day, he is also faces with a personal problem--the separation of his parents. He must also face the culture shock that his Pakistani roots and the clash with the breakdown of English society cause and he watches as his father is transformed into a suburban Buddha. At the same time his cousin becomes a militant feminist and his best friend gets involved in the punk movement.
Watching the movie is like going to a party which is nothing but strangers leading very secret lives. Little by little secrets come to light. The problem here is that the film begins to suffer in the second half when exploitation of the characters ensure. The movie gets off to a brave start and then begins to lose it. Nevertheless it is a wonderful look at the way times change.
April 26, 2008

Five stars - four hours went by too fast!

This movie (miniseries, actually) remains on my top ten list of favorite films. The writing, the acting , the storyline, everything, just leaves me wanting to watch more (after four hours, that is saying a lot!). This film is inventive and captivating without a lot of special effects or high budget - it is just good. The basis of the story is the coming of age in 1960's London, of Kareem, (played by Naveen Andrews, from the English Patient) who is the son of and Englishwoman and Indian man. His place in English culture, in Indian culture, among his respective extended families on each side, as well as his place in life - exploring his career options, his [body], etc. - make this a thoroughly enjoyable experience. This movie is very entertaining and quite funny, especially when Kareem's ... father decides to jump on the East-West Hindu yoga and spirituality bandwagon of the sixties to make money. I just cannot describe all of the amusing and touching scenes from this film that make it such a gem. Very well made, and it has a very good soundtrack as well, featuring some good David Bowie songs. This film is a must-see. March 17, 2003

Buddha of Erotica

Wonderful BBC film adaptation of the Hanif Kureishi novel of the same name. The translation to the small screen worked well primarily because Kureishi himself co-wrote the screenplay.

A satirical witty look at bi-racial issues in the teeming London (and its suburbs) of the 1970's. The film is unexperimental on a cinematographic level but carried brilliantly by a well writen screenplay and superior acting.

Narrated from the perspective of a selfish young man, this is on the surface a tale of a suburban London youth trying to get laid and make it in the world.

Issues of family and commitment are looked at with a subtlety that is refreshing in a world of films that often try to beat you over the head with their moralizations.

Karim is confussed about the world around him (as young people all are) and trying to balance loyalty to his quirky family with the duality of his racially mixed background. All of this is set upon a backdrop of a young man trying to find sex and excitement and his place in the world. February 11, 2002

Kureshi is spectacular!

Hanif Kureshi is one of the best contemporary authors on the shelf. the BBC's interpretation of his book does him justice! Buy it! October 12, 2000

superb acting by the Asian-Indian Al Pacino

This movie documents the struggle of Asian-Pakistani immigrants to Britain and how racism, culture and Britain in the 70s and 80s affected this family and the main character Kareem. In many ways this movie reminds me of a American movie Mi Familia that documents the life of a Mexican-American family throught the 70s to present day. It also shows that second generation people have many problems to encounter besides the usual racism and stereotypes. Naveen Andrews is a great actor and has done much for Asian-Indians all over the world. If you have an open mind watch this movie if not there's always the next blockbuster. October 10, 1999

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