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Oh Robbie Burns, Glasgow Loves You

by Administrator on September 22nd, 2005

I spent the last year living in Glasgow, Scotland, on an educational and cultural pursuit of knowledge that, in looking back, can only be described as mind-blowing. The difficulty in adjusting to the Glaswegian accent (very nearly another language in itself) and the utter strangeness of some things in Scotland and the UK in general, made for an interesting experience. I was very much a foreigner, though I was never made to feel that way, as the people of Glasgow were some of the friendliest I encountered.

I got an email from my friend one day, saying that there was a movie shot in Glasgow that I really needed to watch and that was Æ Fond Kiss. So off I went to the Barras Market, home of the Glaswegian black market, where anything could be bought and sold if only you had the cash, and could find the people responsible for that particular ware. It took me three Saturdays of wandering through the stalls of dirt cheap socks, sweets, sunglasses and movies, to find a vendor that had it. Well worth the risk of a surprise police raid, let me tell you.

The title, in case you’re interested in that sort of thing, is taken from a song written by the great Scot poet, Robert (Robbie to the Scottish) Burns. Lyrics here.

If there was one word I would use to describe Æ Fond Kiss, it would be convincing. At first glance it appears to be a chick flick; boy meets girl and together they try to overcome obstacles so that they can be together. Standard romantic first-date fare. The girl, however, is Irish Roman Catholic, and the boy, is Pakistani Muslim. Far from a simple love story, Æ Fond Kiss is a touching look at societal struggles. The acting is wonderful, succumbing to none of the pitfalls of emotionally charged roles (specifically overacting), while managing to get across the intense personal conflicts that the characters are subject to. The tug-of-war between traditional beliefs and the incorporation of values of an adopted country, as well as the struggle of the parents to be supportive of their children while clinging to cultural roots that they may feel partly detached from, make for a charged atmosphere throughout the film. It touches on many of today’s buzz issues, from the alienation felt by immigrants, to the role of the church, to educational pressures, to inter-racial relations…the list could go on forever. Ken Loach, true to his reputation of a director who makes films about the ‘hard questions’, has made Æ Fond Kiss one of those movies that strikes you in a subtle, but effective way, perhaps changing the way people look at certain issues, and at the very least resulting in pause for thought.

Do not make the mistake of dismissing this movie as simplistic. Its beauty lies in its ability to get across complicated, and sensitive, subject matter within a framework that everyone can enjoy and identify with.

(Photo from OutNow.ch)

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POSTED IN: Drama, Film Reviews, Foreign

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