FREE FOR EVERYONE: My Beautiful Laundrette

Set in London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Launderette follows Omar (Warnecke), a young British-Pakistani man caring for his disillusioned, alcoholic father while trying to build a life for himself. Early on, he reconnects with Johnny (Day-Lewis), an old childhood friend who is now drifting on the edges of right-wing street gangs. Together, the two men end up managing a rundown launderette, where a romantic relationship slowly develops while social and political tensions rise. The film touches upon racism, class, capitalism, and identity in 1980s Britain with a sharp attentiveness. Featuring a charming breakthrough performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, it’s a sad, messy, and morally complicated film; things go wrong, loyalties falter, and no one escapes unscathed. Nevertheless, what I find refreshing, is that the queer relationship itself never becomes the tragedy. Don’t get me wrong, the film is pretty bleak, and a lot goes wrong, but the film refuses the familiar tropes of a dramatic outing scene or punishment and simply lets the relationship be amid the chaos around them.

Leah Zednik-Hammonds