My Son the Fanatic

REVIEW
Fans of scribe Hanif Kureishi (My Beautiful Laundrette, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid) won't want to miss this latest chapter in his ruminations on the immigrant community experience in contemporary Britain. Puri stars as the troubled father of a young man (Kurtha) who's utterly alienated. Kureishi's genius here is to switch the expected generation-gap conflict: father wants assimilation and marriage into the white world for son, while son rejects his white fiancée and embraces radical Islam. The script continues to surprise, with Puri getting involved with a local prostitute, further complicating this family melodrama. There's gentle humor, frank observations and warm characters, who are brought to life through appealing performances.