24 - North Shore News - Friday. April 28, 2000

Puri humble as stat rises

“SHOWTIMES

W Park & Tilford Cineplex
200 — 333 Brooksbank,
North Vancouver (985-3911)
Where the Heart Is (PG) —
12:55, 3:35, 7, 9:40 p.m.
U-571 (PG) — 1:25, 3:50,
7:10, 9:50 p.m.
American Beauty (14A) —
6:45, 9:15 p.m.
Flintstones: Viva Rock

fegas (G) — 1:05, 3:15,
Ms 76, 9:20 p.m.

{1'G) — 1:15, 3:40,

708 > eas p

The Road to > Eldorado (G)

12:50, 3:30, 6:55, 9:35 p.m.

B Esplanade 6 Cinemas
200 W. Esplanade, North
. Vancouver (983-2762)

~ Frequency — Mon-Thu
7:10, 9:50 p.m. Fri/Sar/Sun
140, sche Bath pm.

ing the Fait Mon-

Thu 7, 9:40 p.m.
Fi/Sat/Sun 1:30, 4, 2 9:40

High Fidelity — Mon-Thu
: 9:35 p.m. Eri/ /Sat/Sun
1:45, 4:20, 7:05 9:35 pam

American

-_ Mon-
Tha 7:30, 10
Fri/Sat/Sun i 435, 7: 30, 10

p.m.
Return to Me — Mon-Thu
- 9:30 pm m. Fri/Sat/Sun 1:50,

+ 3380 p

G — Mon-Thu 7:20
p.m. isar/Son 4:25, 7:20

pm. -

: The Rules of wement

— Mon-Thu 7:15, 9:55 p.m.

Fri/Sat/Sun 1:35, 4:10, 7:15,
85 p.m.

lt Caprice Paric Royal
Sout: . -
~ West Vancouver (936- 6699)
Angela shes (PG) --- 8:45

g Skip (G) —7 p.m.
Macnok (144) — 7:30 p.m.
‘Tie Cider House Rules -
(8G) --.7:05, 9:23 pani

a the Avenue Cineo.as
110 Burrard at Sth, |
Vi COUVEr (734-8700)

Americar Beaiy (4A—
05, 9:25 p.m. plus $ Sat/Sun
o 9 p.m. and Tue 4:10
. (nz.7:05 p.m. show
_” Wed, May 3)
F cy (PG) -- 7, 9:45

= ¥:30 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2,
4:40 p.m. and Tue 4:20 p.m.

-. $ Park Theatre

~ 3440 Cambie at 18th,
Vancouver (876-2747)
East Is Bast (14A) — 7:15,
9:25 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2, 4

@ Hollywood Theatre
3123 West Broadway,
Vancouver (5 35- 3864)

Flawless (14) — 7:30 p.m.
The World Is Not Enough
(PG) — 9:30 p.m.

Gi Pacific Cinematheque
1131 Howe St., Vancouver
(688-FILM)

WITH more than 130
films under his belt,
Om Puri is probably
the most recognizable
face in Indian cinema.
But he can still stroll
the streets of
Vancouver unmolested.

AH that is about ro change
with the North American
release of his new film East is
East which has been a phe-
nomenal hit overseas.

Directed by Damien
O*Donnell, and based on
Ayub Khan-Din’s play, the
film chronicles George
Khan’s struggle to maintain
control over his family,

spite the heady atmosphere

f freedom of early '70s
London, which threatens to
tear his family apart.

For 25 years, George and
his British wife (the delightful
Linda Bassett) have managed
to compromise, but their six
children are starting to rebel
against their father’s Muslim
customs.

First eldest son Nazir flees
from his arranged-marriage
ceremony. Another son,
Tariq, goes to discos and
knows every blonde on the
block intimately. And George
can’t get daughter Meenah to
stop playing soccer, let alone
wear a Sari.

“When I was sent the
script my first reaction was
‘Oh God, what a horrid
men’,” says Puri, after offer-
ing me a cup of tea and light-
ing a cigarette. “But I re
ized the family couldn't have
survived for 25 years if he
was like that. Ah! So he’s
been a aice man, he has made
an effort to assimilate. So
that which is due to him
should also be projected.”

Puri’s portrayal of George
Khan as both tender and lov-
ing while increasingly auto-
cratic was difficuli to achieve:
but Puri picked out subtieties
in the script and played them
up to round out Geurge’s
sharp edges.

* “The scenes that ars ten-
der U thought sheuld be
played more tender. There
are a number of moments

Take on
womens’
lifestyles
one-sided

& Me Myself I tx & (out
of 5) Starring Rachel
Griffiths, David Roberts
and Sandy Winton.
Directed and written by
Pip Karmel.

Julie Crawford
Filia Reviews

It’s the question that
gnaws at every modern
woman: Did I make the right
decision to pursue a
career/have a family?

It certainly gnawed at us.
Alison, my movie date, and 1
had to go out for coffee after-
wards and do a vivisection of
our respective lives. It’s a pop-
ular debate: diapers and a
minivan versus professional
success and Club Med get-
aways.

Me Myself I shows both
extremes. The unmarried 30-

- something Pamela (Rachel

NEWS S photo Sutia Crawiord

Om Puri portrays George Khan in Damien O’Donnell’s new film East is East. The
flim, based on Ayub Khan-Din's play, is now showing at Fifth Avenue Cinemas.

when he is affectionate and
charming, but when all is said
and done he lives with con-
tradictions.”

Those contradictions
include violence toward his
wife and children. “He has to
do it because he’s forced to
do it. He doesn’t know any
other language,” insists Puri,
“the only thing he knows is
his fist, and then he starts
nailing them down.”

George happens to be
Muslim, but te theme of a
father clinging to traditional
values while Fas children
flaunt them is universal, thus
its appeal, says Puri.

Puri’s own upbringing was
more liberal. “ “My mother
was very religious, she went
to the tem, mple every day, but
she never forced me to go
with her.

“1 don’t like people
imposing their religious views
on others. When you bring
your religion to the street
you show disrespect for it.
Because it is very personal,
very subjective, very sacred.”

Religion also defined
Puri’s character in 1998’s My
Son The Fanatic, where he
played Parvez, a cabdriver
who falls in fove with a pros-
titute (Rachel Griffiths).

Other films North

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American movie-goers might
remember Puri from include:
City Of Jor, In Custody and
the Canadian film Such A
Long Journey, which won sev-
eral Genie awards.

Have things improved for
minorities since 1971, when
East is East takes place?
“Enormously” says Puri.
“Now when I go back there
(England) I go to restaurants,
I go to a bar... I am accepted.
Now it is a wonderful collage
of communities.”

We are interrupted by a
knock at the door. Puri
excuses himself and goes to

answer it, then politely asks
the mini bar man if he would
come back later. Despite a
staggering resume of film and
stage credits, there is no trace
of the star attitude about
mn? . id

¢ apologizes again, an

lights another cigarette.

Puri dismisses rumours
about his political goais.
“Every individual should take
an interest in politics. I like
to take stands, I don’t like to
hide and be diplomatic, but
at the moment it is not there
(the urge to play a larger
role).”

For now, new film chal-
lenges are his goal. “I have
done a huge body of work in

Leg-Up Position
Position may be recommended
for increased circulation

Head and Feet Up Position
For total body support,
comfort and relaxation

Head-Up Position
For reading, writing, cating,
watching TV

India. Now I just want to
widen myself. Young director,
new director... my bags are
ready, whenever!”

Are there any differences
between working in his native
India and working in the
West? “To be honest the
West is much more disci-
plined than us. Respect for
time. In India it’s erratic... we
wait for big stars for hours,”
smiles

One gets the impression
Om Puri would never be so
disrecpectful.

Griffiths) is a ri ed jour-
nalist but tonely. She answers

sonal ads, buries herself in

er work and has cerea! for

dinner. A comedic half-heart-
ed suicide attempt is thwarted
by a power outa - She can’t :
even get that right.

Nursing a hangover and
trying to escape an ardent me
evangelist, a twist of fate
throws Pamela into the cos-
mic path of ... herself. She
looks into the ‘face of the

Marri .
bullied by her kids and
See Strong Page 8 :

3ore lousdale

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