Netflix pick for 3/17/14 – ‘Dirty Pretty Things’

“Dirty Pretty Things” is a movie about illegal immigrants in the UK and how they are exploited, but that’s a tough sell, so really “Dirty Pretty Things” is about an illegal immigrant with a medical background being forced to take part in some black market type of stuff, while another illegal immigrant has to deal with her sexually exploitative boss at the sweat shop at which she toils away for little money, and how these two people find each other and help each other overcome some serious odds.

This is a really well made movie, captivating and interesting in that “thriller” sort of way, what with our leads being fugitives from the law and constantly hiding their illegal status, but also taking the time to really explore these characters and their few relationships and daily lives and rounds out the whole picture, so that when the ending comes around, the characters are actually developed and feel like they arrived somewhere that they worked hard to get to, as opposed to just going through the motions of a plot because the screenplays says so.

In America this was sold as a movie featuring the breakout star of “Amelie” Audrey Tautou, but the real selling point now in 2014 is Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is now fresh off of all that “12 Years a Slave” heat he’s generated, is pretty much the lead character in this movie, and he kills it as always, because he’s always been a great actor, able to elicit so much empathy with his roles, and here is another role perfect for his knack to portray a person simultaneously proud and humiliated, noble and beaten down, a doctor forced to drive a cab, and so on.

So watch the great “Dirty Pretty Things” right here on the Netflix Instant and enjoy!