Sammy and Rosie Get Laid Review

Sammy and Rosie (Khan-Din and Barber) lead a simple life, sleping with every one of their middle class friends (except for each other) but are thrown into an examination of the old world in India versus the new, Thatcherite chaos of the present when Sammy's dad (Kapoor), an Indian elder, comes to stay.

by William Thomas |
Published on
Release Date:

01 Jan 1987

Running Time:

100 minutes

Certificate:

18

Original Title:

Sammy and Rosie Get Laid

This social satire, spotty but cruelly funny in places, was director Stephen Frears’ and writer Hanif Kureishi’s ambitious re-teaming after My Beautiful Laundrette. Kureishi aims at too many targets—Thatcher, yuppies, social workers, militant lesbians — to hit every one, but there are good performances from an unusual cast: Frances Barber, Shashi Kapoor, Claire Bloom and singer Roland Gift in an impressive debut.

Coupled with the writing’s over ambitious scope is Stephen Frears brave directing, refusing to turn the other way (even in one controversial sex scene) and trying to encapsulate all of the topical fireworks here. It’s an impossible feat, really, but one that sees Frears still come out with some credit despite failing to achieve it.

Not as closely controlled as My Beautiful Laundrette, but still a purposeful cross-cultural comedy that raises a few questions alongside the few laughs.
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