Aargh! Things changed from the book....

I get that a film can't include everything - but some of the omissions from the book are simply baffling.

In particular -

Mrs. Islam - in the book, it was clear that she was a regular visitor to Nazneen and that although Nazneeen was irritated by her, out of respect she tolerated her. The revelation that she was a money lender came as a surprise and the inclusion of her sons added a level of threat and tension as we neared the conclusion. In the book she was just an old lady who popped up and put up no resistance once Nazneen refused to pay any more money.

Raiza - she appeared occasionally throughout the film but in the book, she and Nazneen shared a real friendship. Also, they omitted her husband and his death as well as the problems with her son. Waste of a potentially great character.

The racial tension on the estate - almost entirely missing. The Lion Hearts demonstrations and the Bengal Tigers response were all omitted, as well as the climactic riot. In the book, the escalating tensions and Karim's response gave a palpable sense of dread - in the movie we had a couple of scenes of him shouting and that was it. Wasted opportunity.

Nazneen's complicated feelings for Chanu - firstly, the film shows her as sexually frustrated before meeting Karim - not the case in the book. Secondly, the book shows that Naznnen is embarrassed by Chanu's inability to act on his grand ideas. She never hates him, in fact as her realtionship with Karim escaltes, Nazneen comes to respect Chanu. None of this is evident in the film.

The omission of Nazneen's firstborn - the death of her firstborn is mentioned in a couple of scenes whereas in the book it is a major part of the book. The time spent at the hospital also served as a way to introduce the friendship between Raiza and Nazneen.

Dr. Azad - his omission from the film really didn't make a huge difference but the dynamic of his relationship with Chanu would make an interesting addition.

Overall, I thought that Brick Lane was the worst adaption of a novel since Memoirs of A Geisha.



She's so dull, c'mon rip her to shreds...