‘Brick Lane’

This adaptation of Monica Ali’s novel about arranged marriage and
post-9/11 politics in London’s Bangladeshi district has, in
comparison with the brilliant source material, a much narrower focus
and a gentler tone. But what it lacks in ambition, it makes up in
intimacy. The acting is great—especially Satish Kaushik’s
sympathetic portrayal of the stuffed shirt Chanu—and the
cinematography is flat-out stunning. It’s no substitute for the book,
of course, but you won’t want to miss it. (See movie times,
www.thestranger.com, for
details.)