Categories this film falls into:

Comedy
Drama
Dramedy
Feel Good
Foreign - England
Just a Damn Fine Film

beautiful people (1999)

A comic collision of chaos and coincidence.

My friend Ed and I wanted to get together and see a movie - neither of us were excited about anything that was at the theaters at that time. A friend of his suggested we should see Beautiful People. I hadn't heard anything about it, so I agreed - then I read a review of it that said it was about Bosnian refugees living in London. I thought to myself, I don't want to see a depressing war movie.

But I went anyway and was completely blown away by the warmth, humor and human-ness of this film. This is one of those films that makes you glad you are alive and living in the world - people can be kind if you just give them a chance.

THINGS I LOVE

The interweaving of plots. Sometimes this can be a very dangerous thing to do. If you have too many storylines going on at the same time, you risk losing the audience. Not so with this movie. The characters' lives are all intertwined and the switching from character line to character line really works without making you go, 'now who is that again?'
The use of humor. I was laughing more than I was crying in this film. And it wasn't this big guffaw laughing like at a one-liner from some comedy - the humor in this film is a little more delicate, a little more generous toward the characters - you're laughing with them more than at them. To write something like that takes talent.
The use of music. Fantastic.
The tenderness. Not many films leave you with the feeling that the world really can be a nice place to live. Jasmin Dizdar's screenplay and filming is very sympathetic to her characters. Underneath, they're basically "good" people and once they get past ignorance and intolerance and realize people are people are people - it's fantastic.
The two guys who are always fighting. You would think that after the first scene this would get old, but it doesn't. Or at least, it didn't to me
Pero. Edin Dzandzanovic is wonderful. I love the joy he finds in life - unabashedly going after what he wants.
Dr. Mouldy. Nicholas Farrell does a fantastic job. He is one of my favorite characters in the film.
The nurse who takes care of the 2 guys who fight all the time and the Welsh firebomber. Her way of settling the men down by pointing out that they both wear the same size shoe. This is really ingenious. Fantastic.

FAVORITE MOMENTS

The opening scene on the bus - our introduction to the two fighters. If you've ever been on public transportation in London, you'll love this scene. Everyone sitting so quietly, pretending not to notice anyone else, and then these two guys start fighting. It's priceless. The music when the chase starts is wonderful.
Portia's family's breakfast. Reading the paper. Mom, Dad, Brother.
Dr. Mouldy trying to get his twins ready for school - eating breakfast, getting dressed, the pillow fight.
Griffin's family in the morning. His Mom coming up to his room to get him to sign the card.
Our introduction to Pero. He's so happy. The coffeeshop scene is just heartbreaking. The chase that ensues with Pero, the woman, the police woman and the coffeeshop woman.
Jerry Higgin's daughter watching the nature program in the morning.
Griffin's Mom decorating the cake and listening to the radio soap opera - and crying. It's fabulous.
Dzemila dragging Dr. Mouldy to the room to talk to him about "no baby." She keeps pulling on his sleeve and won't stop. He's so preoccupied about his wife leaving that he is sort of oblivious. It takes a little while for him to realize what she wants.
The way that Ismet explains to Dr. Mouldy why they can't have the baby. The film of Dzemila dancing in her wedding dress.
Griffin falling with foodstuffs in Bosnia. I was laughing out loud here. This is the most far-fetched of the things that happens in this film, but that's ok - it really is funny.
Griffin's Mom finding heroin in his room and calling in her husband. The two of them trying to figure out what all the stuff is for is priceless.
The leg amputation in Bosnia. Griffin coming to the rescue.
Griffin's parents seeing him on TV. The looks on their faces - there is nothing like it. It's such a great moment.
Dzemila and Ismet in the cab ride to Dr. Mouldy's house. Driving from run-down to nice neighborhoods. Their faces as they watch everything go by. Wonderful.
Pero's introduction to Portia's family: hostility, toilet, piano, exotic. This is one of the best, and yet one of the most excruciating, scenes of the movie.
Griffin's Mom accidentally sniffing the heroin. The music during this scene is fabulous. She is hilarious.
Again, an example of the tenderness of this film - Griffin and the little Bosnian boy at the pub and at the hospital.
The wedding. Pero's speech. The uncomfortable reception by the party-goers.
Ismet's birthday celebration. The dancing. The music. Wonderful
The card game in the hospital - nurse and her wards.
The end credits shown against the backdrop of Dzemila's wedding day dancing. This so beautiful. So beautiful.

QUOTES

This is London Transport. We don't behave like that in this country. - bus driver
Do you want a sausage roll, sweetheart? - Felicity Midge
Don't ask me love. I'm not a bloody philosopher, am I? - coffee shop woman
You can't eat and talk at the same time. You can suffocate. - Portia
Where's my mummy? - Tim and Tom
Griffin's behavior is beyond rational explanation. It's not environmental obviously and it's not genetic. We have humane civilised genes on both sides. He the ... the what? - Roger Midge
War, what war? - Griffin
Do you know what's extraordinary? You both have exactly the same size feet. Isn't that extraordinary? - nurse
Her father's gone mad. - Tim or Tom
Thank you very much for your hostility. - Pero
Pero, I am personally very much against ethnic cleansing. - Portia's brother
You are here to heal. So start healing. - nurse
Leg stays. Bosnia goes. - Jerry Higgins
If life works out just a tiny bit in your favor, it can be beautiful, just beautiful. - Dr. Mouldy