AE Fond Kiss Movie Review

22 June 2005 No Comment

Cassim (Atta Yaqub) is the only son of first generation devout Muslim Pakistani immigrants living in Glasgow. He is also a DJ and his parents have arranged for him to marry his first cousin Jasmine from Pakistan. During an incident at his younger sister’s school he meets the music teacher, Roisin (Eva Birthistle), white, Irish and Catholic. Their relationship has dire consequences for both of them.

Eva Birthistle and Atta Yaqub have on screen chemistry and they are really good. The story is emotionally realistic; there are no bad guys or good guys it’s about the needs of the individual against the needs of the whole.

What makes AE FOND KISS more interesting than the usual racial/religious conflict romance movie because Cassim’s family’s point of view makes sense because it is how the family unit remains preserved and the priest that chastises Roisin also has a point because how can you be Catholic if you don’t follow the rules of Catholicism?

As mentioned before AE FOND KISS is emotionally realistic so be warned, it may not be dark or emotionally jarring but it does unsettle and the themes and subtle commentary about the individual versus the whole and the cost involved is very striking in these generic times.

CAST: Atta Yaqub, Eva Birthistle, Shamshad Akhtar, Ghizala Avan, Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh and Ahmad Riaz
DIRECTOR: Ken Loach
SCREENPLAY: Paul Laverty
RUNNING TIME: 102 Minutes
AGE RESTRICTION: 13 LNP
GENRE: Romantic Drama
RELEASE DATE: 1 July 2005
RATING: 8/10

“Love In Modern Times Hampered By Tradition And Religion”