Dirty Pretty Things

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Okwe, an undocumented Nigerian immigrant trying to make a living in London doing jobs that nobody else wants, like driving a gypsy cab and working the overnight shift on the front desk of a seedy hotel. The fact that he was a doctor in his home country means nothing without the papers he needs – and can’t get – to live in London legally, so he keeps his head down, doesn’t make eye contact and keeps his mouth shut. Unfortunately for him, his slimy boss (a chilling Sergi lopez) finds out what he used to be and blackmails him into performing illegal operations in the hotel, operations where undocumented people desperate for papers sell their kidneys for a passport. The film is beautifully acted, and surprisingly lovely to look at given the disturbing subject matter. Director Stephen Frears does a masterful job of pacing the story for maximum tension, while at the same time giving the cast plenty of room to do their job, which in this case means bringing a humanity and dignity to the people we walk past without thinking about every day.