Un beso (2004) Online

"Ae Fond Kiss" manages to find appealing freshness in a tale probably older than "Romeo and Juliet."

There have been many, many films that have dealt with the conflicts between young lovers from different ethnic or racial backgrounds and there's strengths and weaknesses in how director Ken Loach and his frequent collaborator writer Paul Laverty avoided some clichés while stridently emphasizing some others.

The fresh POV is that the young Glaswegian Muslim/Catholic couple is not naive teenagers experiencing love for the first time, conflating The Other with sexual discovery, but experienced 20-somethings who know perfectly well about the vagaries of relationships. He even expresses surprise that she had entered into her first marriage at the young age of 19.

In addition, this is the first such genre film I can think of where the one in the couple feeling the pull of traditional responsibilities is the guy; usually it's the girl who is drawn to assimilate by a handsome charmer. The gender switch provides an interesting dynamic that effectively shows how ethnic and racial tensions add to the simple interactions or the usual up and down strains that any new relationship goes through. For example, his seductive reaching out to her on an early date emphasizes his fascination with her wavy blonde hair.

While their relationship is allowed to grow gradually out of a mutual interest in music, they develop a frankly, deliciously sexual relationship, whereas most films in the genre gauzily avoid such aspects of interracial romance, going beyond "Mississippi Marsala." They verbally express their feelings for each other with gentle sparring use of epithets -- this is also the first film in the genre I can think of where despite everything they go through they do not declare "I love you."

Each has complexities and pressures in their personal lives that the relationship complicates. Some effort is made to present the Muslim family's viewpoint as coming out of a protective reflex against experienced bigotry from the violence of the Indian partition on. She points out she can't consider his parents as individuals who are other than bigots if he never lets her meet them.

While a younger sister is a conventional rebel (it's a risible cliché of this genre that she wants to be a writer), the older sister has accommodated herself to her cultural requirements in a way to be content in the contemporary world, but this leads her to be desperately pro-active against the couple.

Poignantly, communication across the divide is almost not possible, that slim reed called love may not conquer all, and there is genuine suspense as they split and reunite and split under the stress.

The lead actors are enormously appealing and believable, so we have great compassion for them. George Fenton's music helps to maintain the romantic atmosphere.

On the strident side, their meeting cute is by her breaking up a fight between his sister and racial taunters. The bigotry angle is hammered home culturally incongruously by displays of the notorious lynching postcards with "Strange Fruit" playing in the background.

The Scottish brogues are mostly comprehensible to American ears, though the specifics of some jocular exchanges are lost.

The cinematography well conveys gritty Glasgow.

British filmmaker Ken Loach is a rare commodity. The man should be revered. He consistently makes superb films, movies that comment on important social issues. And he's never been tempted to go Hollywood.

He's appreciated in Europe, but he should be in the United States, too. I consider Loach and fellow Briton Mike Leigh to be the most socially conscious filmmakers working today. Just look at some of Loach's remarkable films - "Kes" (1969), "Riff-Raff" (1990), "Hidden Agenda" (1990), "Raining Stones" (1993), "Ladybird Ladybird" (1994), "Carla's Song" (1996) and "My Name is Joe" (1998). They may not all be masterworks, but they're more emotionally satisfying, funny and poignant than most Hollywood films.

It's a shame Hollywood doesn't have an equivalent to Loach or Leigh. We have the marvelous John Sayles, but he's alone and he, too, doesn't work in the Hollywood system.

In "A Fond Kiss," Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty tackle the age-old conflict of star-crossed lovers. In this case, it's Casim Khan (Atta Yaqub), a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, and Irishwoman Roisin Hanlon (Eva Birthistle) in Glasgow, Scotland. Casim's a DJ with lofty plans to open his own club; Roisin's a music teacher at the Catholic school attended by Casim's sister, Tahara (Shabana Bakhsh). As expected, Casim's family made plans for him to marry a cousin. And he's caught between obligations to his family and his love for Roisin.

This might seem familiar. And it is. But what Loach and Laverty do is elevate their story to another level, stripping off any artifice and making it as sincere, human and believable as possible. Biracial couples, especially, will understand and appreciate the genuine storytelling. The movie's final scene is beautifully written and acted.

There's something deeply honest about Yaqub and Brithistle's performances. These aren't Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan pretending to be normal people. There's nothing artificially cute or movie-like about Casim and Roisin's romance and relationship. These are two people extremely comfortable with each other. Their conversations are frank; their problems are real; their anguish and joy ring completely true. Even their lovemaking has nothing artificial about it.

Yaqub wasn't a professional actor when Loach cast him. So Yaqub brings certain rawness to his role that's very welcome. But that also exposes his shortcomings. There are moments that require a bit more emotion from Yaqub, scenes that would play better if he were stronger. But he gets ample support from Birthistle. This really is her movie.

From the first moment we see her, Birthistle captivates us. Her reactions to everything that happens to her - from ecstasy with Casim to pain with his sister - there isn't one thing false about her performance. It's so easy for us to sympathize and empathize with her because she draws us in with a wonderfully subtle, nuanced and open performance.

There's also a superb cameo from Gerard Kelly as a sanctimonious priest.

We rarely get to see films such as "A Fond Kiss" in the U.S. Films that bravely tackle social issues, expose our prejudices and force us to think and understand other people and cultures. Loach's oeuvre includes one movie made in the U.S. - "Bread and Roses" (2000). He hasn't returned to make another one. Pity. Just imagine how much richer the American film industry would be if it had filmmakers of Loach's integrity and caliber.

My wife and I rented this movie because we are so fascinated by films that explore the various issues involved in inter-racial relationships. I am Chinese, and my wife Indian, and it was quite a tumultuous journey from the day we met to the day that we exchanged our wedding vows. Seeing movies like this always brings us a strong feeling of nostalgia.

A Fond Kiss is the love story between Casim, a young Pakistani man, and Roisin, a young Catholic woman, with the backdrop being modern day Scotland. Much of the plot revolve around the Casim's family dynamics, which is a rather modern Muslim household. We are not given much about Roisin's family, but the director gives us a rather bitter depiction of fundamental Catholic dogma. Despite the predictable problems that arise, the story is accompanied by a strong performance from the entire cast, and the use of common Hollywood love-story gimmicks are refreshingly absent from the plot.

I must note that the performance by Casim's father was especially moving for me; you want to judge him quickly for his hypocrisy and bigotry, but soon feel for his predicament. The antagonism he has for "love" marriages arise from his responsibility to love and protect his family, and his tribulations in the past have made him weary of foreigners. I am reminded of the problems I have had with my father-in-law; for the longest time I hated him so much, but only now I see that he's one of the most caring and loving individuals I have ever known, and any problems he gave me was simply his way of testing my devotion to what matters most to him, his daughter and family.

The ending scenes were also beautifully woven together. There are no ridiculous chase scenes or over-exaggerated dialogues. The people who ultimately decide their fates are themselves. It is Casim and Roisin who must determine what their destinies are, and this non-fatalistic scenario is often the case in real life. I know, from my culture as well as my wife's, that in many cases, marriages are arranged, and sometimes forced. Though I try not to make any judgements, I am glad that I live in a society where I still get to choose my partner in life.

The Mother. I shall devote most of this post just talking about her.

Nondescript during her first few appearances, she fits the bill of a stereotypical Asian immigrant mom. And thats about it. But to assume just that will also mean that we have not seen enough Ken Loach movies. For it takes but one stolen moment of familial conflict for the woman to sense her troubled son's pain. And like balm over raw open wounds, she unleashes her outbursts of maternal affection. Its easy to understand why the son breaks down there and then. I would too. A mother's intuition is uncanny. To see it approximated so closely on screen, this movie demands my gratitude.

I love the other characters in this great film too - the father, the son's two very different sisters, his best friend and even the white "outsider" love interest. Each character is so well defined, their inter-relationship dynamics so genuine and heartfelt, they deserve my devoting paragraphs each respectively just to shower my compliments. But I shan't do that. I will only be repeating myself.

Hence, this much I shall say; there's something in a Ken Loach film which gets to me each and everytime - the characters. More specifically, I am floored by their measures of realness. They are individuals guided by distinct codes of conduct. Their values explain their actions and exposes their strengths and frailties. Ultimately, these "real" people earn my empathy. There are no saints or sinners in Ken Loach's film universe. Instead, I see human beings relating with each other simply, truly, sometimes madly, but always deeply.

Ae Fond Kiss is one of the best films of the year. Check it.

I saw this at the Edinburgh Film Festival last night. I'm not a natural fan of Loach's work, although grew a little warmer to it after Sweet Sixteen.

What he's made here though is a believable, warming love-story. Aside from 'location-spotting' the Glasgow geography, there was a feeling throughout the film that's difficult to pin down (or articulate!); just a kind of "yeah, that's right, these people and these feelings are real".

Lead-wise, a great line up, Atta Yaqub plays a quiet Casim, and Eva Birthistle a brilliant but natural Roisin - there's nothing that stops you believing that this is a couple in love.

As for the rest of them - some excellent characters and some good acting. One criticism is Loach's practice of using non-actors - sometimes this leads to an almost TOO natural delivery of the script. The strength of the whole cast comes through though, and there's certainly no feeling of any tokenism or stereotype characters.

One actor who doesn't appear to have had much notice in any write-ups I've seen is Shabana Bakhsh, who plays Tahara Khan, Casim's youngest sister. She's fantastic. Again, falls a little foul of sometimes sounding overly natural... but what a star though. She was very believable as the rebellious, starting to get politically active, younger sister.

All-in-all, a great film, worth seeing. I think it's out on general release sometime in the early autumn - well worth the ticket.

Ae Fond Kiss is Ken Loach's latest movie. It's a movie with that classic basic premise: a woman and a man from different cultures fall in love. Will their love survive what other people think and do? It's a premise we've seen a million times before. But that doesn't make Ae Fond Kiss a bad movie. No, quite the opposite: I think it's wonderful.

First of all, I think the script is amazing. While Casim's family probably is the biggest obstacle for the young couple to overcome, this is by no means a movie which portrays only the Moslems as the bad guys. Roisin's Catholic society isn't much better. This is one of the reasons why the movie is so engaging.

Another reason why I really liked this film is the fantastic performances by all the actors. Eva Birthistle is certainly the standout, but it would be unfair to name any other actor before the others. In short, it's a great cast.

Ae Fond Kiss is a well-played, sweet and very engaging movie. I liked it a lot. It's even a bit better than Loach's Sweet Sixteen. (8/10)

Every romance film should be this way; the lovers bickering, throwing each other out of the apartment, taking shots at each other's families and generally not getting along in between periods of being so intensely in love that they forget everything but each other.

Sadly, most romance movies aren't like this at all.

Ae Fond Kiss, or Just a Kiss, is a gritty account of two blue-collar workers in love, one a Scottish girl and the other a product of an immigrant Pakistani family, all taking place in the not so glamorous city of Glasgow during the late 20th century. The Scottish girl is a music teacher at a Catholic school and meets the Pakistani boy when her guitar is broken during a racial incident. So far it follows much of the standard boy-meets-girl line. The romance takes off, they find they are getting along swell, and then the price comes due.

You can see it coming, the Muslim Pakistani family coming down on the boy for not going along with his arranged marriage, and him going on the outs with his family. But then the price comes due for his Scottish girlfriend, too, and that was a little harder to call. It comes down to both of them having to pay a price for their love, and the various tests of their willingness to do so. Even at the end, it was a bit uncertain, as such a romance would probably be. You can almost see them trying to decide if this is worth the trouble they are going through, or just a lust thing they will eventually get over.

The characters are likable, even when you don't agree with them. The father who doesn't want his son going out with a Catholic girl is not only likable, you can even see his point of view and the quandary he is in. The story line is believable, especially today, and the sub plots were intriguing.

I'm not normally much for romance films, unless there are a lot of naked chicks wobbling around, or the popcorn is really good, but I liked this movie quite a bit. Something in it appeals to even a die hard chick flick hater like me. It would make an excellent date movie, giving you something to discuss while providing that all important element of romance that leads to your hand sliding off the gear shift and squeezing her thigh while you make some pseudo-intellectual point about one of the various issues in the film.

There is no feel-good Hollywood ending here, it just sort of fades out, leaving you wondering what would happen with such a couple. Did they stay together? Did the boy reconcile with his family? But you don't feel cheated out of an ending, rather you are forced to confront how you, the viewer, would deal with the same or similar issues.

I was taken to this film sort of against my will, I wanted to see something else, and from the first five minutes I knew I was watching something special. Not to give anything away, but this film has a political side that is not often seen in films in the states, but it's not 'heavy handed' about it at all- the political comes out of the family situations. The actors are all wonderful, particularly the woman lead, and I completely believed every situation they were in. The music was unobtrusive and the camera work felt more like a documentary than a film.

But overall I was left with a feeling of joy that there are still films that try to say something, that aren't based on comic books, and that have real concerns that people struggle with. Bravo to Ken Loach and co.

"Ae Fond Kiss" embodies all and more that we are used to from director,Ken Loach. The film is entertaining and moving from start to finish and makes interesting and true social comment about the way we live. Loach approaches the subjects of religion, race, national identity and cultural differences in a way that is sensitive, gritty and real to the audience. "Ae Fond Kiss" does not shy away from the truth and attempts to deal with issues in a far more serious and believable way than such films as "Bend it Like Beckham". An enjoyable film, and one which should gain huge attention and recognition from the U.S. However, we shouldn't hold our breath as we know.

Ken Loach's very touching, realistic A Fond Kiss (actually "Ae Fond Kiss"; it's a phrase from a Robert Burns poem) is a Glasgow star-crossed lovers story. A blonde lady called Roisin (Eva Birthistle) teaches music in a state-supported Catholic school. She and Casim (Atta Yaqub) meet and fall in love. Casim grew up in Glasgow but has Pakistani Moslem parents. He breaks out of an arranged marriage and lives with Roisin. For living out of wedlock Roisin's moved out of the Catholic school, where she's a favorite of students, before end of term. Casim's family uses every wile to lure him back to the arranged marriage, but he and Roisin stay together and say a gently ironic pledge of loyalty to each other. They know (and we know) it's not going to be easy.

A little rough-hewn like its Glasgow environment, A Fond Kiss is simple and sincere. The principles are non-actors. In the wake of Mike Leigh's polished little gem, Vera Drake, we're aware of the rawness of this effort, but it has a freshness and emotional validity Leigh's techniques sometimes lose. There's a surprising amount of flesh in Casim's and Roisin's encounters: Loach may be socially conscious, but he isn't averse to being sexy. There's not the wit and the sophistication of the 1985 Frears/Kureishi collaboration My Beautiful Laundrette, which still stands as perhaps the classic British cross-cultural love story and also one of the most novelistically complex films in English of the past two decades.

Maybe A Fond Kiss has its emotional impact for just that reason: it sticks firmly to the saga of Casim and Roisin: all external events and characters are seen exclusively in relation to them, though the emotional pain felt by Casim's parents at "losing" their son is vividly shown. Laundrette shone at treating a gay love story within the context of other, straight, experiences, such as the world weary gloom of Omar's Papa, and the burgeoning capitalism of other relations. Loach's film has a thicker patina of authenticity: the Glaswegian accents are sometimes near-impenetrable and you can follow better when the Pakistanis are talking in Urdu with subtitles. It's an essential point that Casim's English is as Glaswegian as Roisin's, and a slicker actor couldn't have achieved that.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw noted "an unfashionable streak of optimism" running thorough A Fond Kiss while Philip French spoke of "an unusually romantic and non-political mode." True, on both counts, but "non-political" doesn't mean the social aspects of the situation aren't deftly and completely outlined for us. A BBC critic called Kiss "believable, intelligent film-making but quibbled that "considering the makers' pedigree, Ae Fond Kiss... is more of a peck than a smacker." US critics have given the film a fair rating, noting its cultural balance, but with reservations about the technical competence of the piece. All this is a bit unfair, because roughness has its virtues as polish has its faults. This is one of Loach's sunniest, most moving efforts; it's a shame that due to limited release it won't be seen by more of the US public.

Shown at the Quad Cinema in New York in early December 2004.

I saw Loach's new work at the Berlin festival and was stunned. Usually, I'm not very much into his films as he gets a little to preachy for me at times. Still, I respect him for taking up subject matters other directors avoid nowadays - most of all British working class stories. "Ae fond kiss" to me is his masterpiece. It's the first film I've seen that really brings across all the complexities of intercultural relationships. It resists the temptation to judge or mock the conservative islamic family while making clear that its sympathies are with the bicultural couple. It doesn't give any easy answers but shows that sometimes you can only choose between bad and worse - but choose you must if you still want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror. A friend of mine is Afghan, and the film reminded me a lot of the problems she is going through, balancing between family tradition and Western culture. So if you're interested in a deep, aching but also hopeful look into the intercultural reality of our European societies, go and see "Ae fond kiss". Its Berlin awards are well deserved.

This story was more than a love story, it really spoke to the difficulties those from different backgrounds can face in a relationship (with family, society, in careers, in living together, measuring their success). I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end and will re-watch it when I get the chance. It had just the right amounts of humor, romance, sensuality, and drama to make it enjoyable for both men and women. The actors had wonderful chemistry, which adds to the believability and likability in a love story. Very well acted, a gem and highly recommended! I hope to see more and more of both main characters.

Perusing OnDemand one day that I was sick, I came across this film and gave it a try. I am so glad that I did. It's not slick and polished at all, but the acting, the emotional tension, all feel very real. And it's just a wonderful love story for a change.

At times in this film their relationship seems impossible. It's frustrating and painful. Nobody magically comes around in some irritatingly saccharine way, but the resolution feels real and is happy.

Finally, I felt the chemistry between the two lead actors. The sex was erotic and real but did not feel gratuitous.

I am feeling quite awkward about the characters in this film, especially the girl, Roisin. All through the story, I had the impression that she was behaving in an extremely selfish way - though this may also be understandable as she felt threatened by the behaviour of the Pakistani family. But still, she never seemed to understand any viewpoint different to hers - not even the fact that her boyfriend was torn between his love to her and his family.

The film exemplified very well the different mentalities of, on the one hand, a Western city single, completely unattached, and, on the other hand, an immigrant community where the family and honour are highly valued.

I had some trouble with Roisin's relationship towards her Catholicism: we were never shown if she was faithful or just a nominal Catholic who wanted to remain so because she wanted to teach in a Catholic school. She does not seem to draw any strength from faith, but lives in a rather self-centered manner. The introduction of the sectarian fanaticism of the parish priest was interesting, because the Catholics in Britain are themselves (and were even more so in the past) a rather close-knit community, similarly to the Pakistanis and Muslims in the country.

Some reviewers here seemed not to have understood what the priest's problem was with her - it was not (so much) that she was unmarried, living with a man, but that she was, in the eyes of the Church, still married to her ex-husband, but lived with another man (thus in adultery). It seems a bit mysterious to me why she hadn't applied for annulment herself, as is suggested by the priest (sometimes also called "divorce Catholic style"). But as I have already said, we don't get to know very much about her whole relationship towards religion anyway.

The complexity of cultural conflict, racial tension, the difficulty of one generation breaking free from the restrictive traditions of the previous generation - all of these are good subjects for film (or stage or literature). Think Romeo and Juliet, for example. The conflicts in "Ae Fond Kiss" (the title comes from a Robert Burns song) - racial, cultural, generational, religious - all demand serious attention and reflection. This film doesn't achieve that attention or reflection. The story of love (or desire) trivializes the broader issues. Photographed effectively, even at times beautifully, especially the cityscape of Glasgow, the film nevertheless is poorly edited (disjointed scenes) and unevenly paced. Eva Birthistle manages to appear both lovely and prickly; Atta Yaqub manages to both attract and repel. The script is too facile. An overall disappointment. And, it can't be said too often, people should keep their clothes on; sexual desire and tension can be presented much more effectively through nuance and gesture. (See Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love.")

Yes, it is a modern Romeo and Julia. Yes, it is about interracial and inter cultural relationship and yes, it has been dealt many time before by some European directors. But, let me ask you; do we have such a movie made by a Hollywood directors or producers? Why, not? The civil right movements is 40 years ago, isn't it? This is a honest and simple film telling the love story of a young Muslim Pakistani raised in Glasgow and a young Irish teacher (a splendid performance by ms Birthistle). It is taken from a daily live with recognizable stereotype of cultural status quo of the second generations immigrants in Europe. Maybe to the disappointment of some ppl Ken Loach's approach was classic. And political correct ;-). But it is done without any cheap sentiments. The audience was left with an awkward feeling and the knowledge that their lives aren't going to be easy. You can consider it as a statement. But IMO such a statement is necessary so long there are ignorance and disrespect. This has been shamefully demonstrated by the late controversial Dutch mediocre director van Gogh in his last film before he was killed.

While a love story between two human being should be a non-issue and to much of a movie screenplay, this one is not. The tensions between Casim and Roisin; between Casim and his parents and between Tahara and the rest of the family concerning her study in Edinbrough are pretty much there. The portrayal of the family meeting where the eldest sister were arranged to meet a young man and her parent in laws were striking.

I feel sorry with the so-called liberal Hollywood bunch where they do not dare to pick interracial love story, which unfortunately still an issue there. I remember the Pelican Brief where Denzel Washington has to restrain himself not to kiss Julia Robert. Hypocritical.

I have a dream that I will one day live in a world where people will not be judged by the color of their skin, their religion or their cultural background but by the content of their character as human being.

9/10

I'm very tolerant with romantic films, both comedy or drama. I can love a simple film like "The Matchmaker", even when the script is transparent. But 'Ae Fond Kiss' (love the title, though, that attracted me in the first place!) film is not only predictable, it's irritating and you expect more from Ken Loach than an unbelievable love story with extensive love scenes that have nothing to do with the story. Leave them completely out, and it won't change the story! I really couldn't believe that those scenes just went on and on. You could hear people sigh in the cinema.

It was also very unbelievable that the girl didn't had enough of it at a certain time. Once you can forgive, but twice, then you really have done it. The guy is a weakling, and although that is emphasized at some stages, in my opinion he was just not on the same level as the girl. This guy gets away with being a prick, by just looking good. He is a boy, she is a woman.

In short: an unbelievable love story with drained love scenes which disappointed me greatly.

I really didn't like this film. I usually don't feel this strongly about films but I found it very difficult to sit all the way through this one.

I found the acting pretty 'rough around the edges', which was charming at first and gave the film a real-life quality, but became very noted, particularly with regard to the male lead. I found the plot badly structured (how many times did they fall out and then get back together?) I didn't think that there was any chemistry between the two leads at all and the script didn't allow for any development of their relationship. I found it difficult to work out why they were actually together, other than mutual sexual attraction. I could go on....

I thought that the film started extremely well - thoughtful, but with a lighthearted touch. Unfortunately it just didn't even come close to living up to the promising opening.

I wasn't aware of this movie at all, not knowing anything of the story before I saw it on UK cable pay-per-view. The blurb was enough for me to want to watch it. I can relate to the main male lead as I too am a second generation British Asian of Pakistani parentage. I am not usually a fan of romance movies but it had Ken Loach among its credits so I decided to watch it...and I am so glad that I did. For the first time I saw an accurate portrayal of the duality of cultures and the pressures faced by young asians as their parents try to do what they think is best. I think the new male lead, Atta Yaqub, did a commendable job but for me the female lead and Casim's younger sister Tahara were truly excellent. I watched the movie with some friends from school, all of us British asians, and most of the stuff from the film was spot on. For example, when Casim asks Roisin to duck down as they drive past his cousins takeaway...I've done that too! I did think, though, that the portrayal of the Asian mother was a bit too clichéd and the father never came across too well either but other than that this was a real gem. For an accurate portrayal of what so many British Asian men and women have to contend with watch this film.

English television and film director Ken Loach's eighteenth feature film which was written by Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, premiered In competition at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival in 2004, was shot on location in Glasgow, Scotland and is a UK-Italy-Germany-Spain co-production which was produced by English producer Rebecca O'Brien. It tells the story about a Pakistani Dj and student named Casim Khan who lives in a city in Scotland with his father, mother and two sisters. One day when he is at the Catholic school which his younger sister named Tahara attends, Casim meets a teacher and pianist named Roisin Hanlon whom he immediately takes a liking to. Casim connects with Roisin and all though his parents has decided that he is going to marry his cousin named Jasmine which Roisin is unaware of, he starts a relationship with her which goes from a kiss to something far more serious.

Subtly and finely directed by European filmmaker Ken Loach, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the two main characters viewpoints, draws a gentle and incisive portrayal of an Irish woman who falls in love with a man who is promised away to someone else and a Glasgowian-Pakistani student named Tahara who wants to leave Glasgow to go to a school in the capital city of Scotland where she can become a journalist. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, fine cinematography by English cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and production design by English production designer Martin Johnson, this character-driven and narrative- driven story about the adversity a man and a woman of different ethnicity are faced with after they find each other, depicts two humane and interrelated studies of character and contains a great score by English composer George Fenton.

This atmospheric, conversational, somewhat historic and at times humorous love-story from the early 2000s which is set in Spain and Scotland in the early 21st century and where a natural romance between two human beings leads a man into a dilemma which entails that he has to go against his family's wishes to be with the woman he loves and a woman into a conflict with the parish priest at her school, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, subtle continuity, eloquent and natural intimacy and the involving acting performances by Irish actress Eva Birthisle, Scottish actor Atla Yaqub in his debut feature film role and Scottish actress Shabana Akhtar Bakhsah. A romantic, authentic and sociological drama which gained, among numerous other awards, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 54th Berlin Film Festival in 2004 and which is dedicated to the memory of Martin Johnson.

This is not a new story and many people will dismiss it after seeing a trailer or reading a short synopsis. This would be a mistake as this is a smart movie which doesn't take sides or have any hidden agenda.

There is a strong sense of hope and an intimacy you don't normally see at the multiplex. By setting a romance on a forbidden platform you automatically raise the emotional stakes so that right from the start you get attached to the characters. This obviously depends on the strength of the acting of the two leads. In this case there is nothing to worry about.

At times it feels a bit like a storyline from a British soap opera until you realize that it is Ken Loach and he always goes one step further - the sex scenes are almost embarrassingly intimate, the arguments are seriously intense and there are no tidy conclusions. This is true to life. There are no easy answers, just a series of decisions and consequences. Looking forward to the next one...

I am a big fan of Ken Loach. Huge fan. That's why I disliked this movie so much. It has nothing of his touch.

The story is absolutely predictable (God! I even knew that he was not going to be able to get in the house after their first fight) and there is nothing new. It's a story we already saw many times, with an obvious script, fair performances and just OK story telling. It never moves you, it never shocks you, it never really does anything to you.

There is a Turkish/German movie that was shown during the Berlin Festival I think it is called "Against the wall" or something similar. Now, there is a movie! In Ae Fond Kiss there is no roar material like in "Sweet sixteen", the great performances of "Secrets and lies", not even the humor of "Riff Raff". There is a lot of plain nothing.

And the first scene! Please! Let's not make more political speeches to open a movie. Let's make political statements! Lots of them! But not in the form of pamphlets. Remember Land and Freedom? It's hard to believe that we are talking about the same director here...

That word is of course relative. What is racism? Where goes the border between being incorporated in your culture and looking down on others? The question is relevant also for Muslims in Scotland.

Ken Loach is a passionate director watching everyday-life in a passionate way. You always get engaged in his people. You come to know them and feel for them.

In this film the catholic girl is the most abused part and the Muslim boy the one who has to struggle most against prejudice. The end is predictable, but the travel towards it exciting. The good powers win.

Ken Loach dares to criticize and understand at the same time.

Seeing Ken Loach's film at AFI Fest, I was positivelly surprised. A Fond Kiss is a very effective portrayal of a love story surviving the toughest social dilemma's. This film dealing with the inter-racial relationship between a Muslim pakistani young man and a catholic irish woman all set in Glasgow, Scotland, does an excellent job in giving insight in the family values of pakistani and Indian muslims in a predominantly catholic British environment. Dealing with generation gaps between parents and children, it also puts the Muslim beliefs in a slightly different limelight, where destiny is not so much determined by faith but by family principles. A great set up has the audience warm up to the film's characters very effectivally and engages us into the story right off the bat. The acting is powerful, and the theme never is 'preached' to us. The director does a fantastic job pulling us in to a world which might be far away from our own beliefs and lifestyles, but has us all look beyond the apparent differences to see the true value of love. The theme and characters might not speak to everyone, but undoubtfully it is a great piece of film making.

I guess it had to happen, but Ken Loach has disappointed me with this one. I gave it 5 out of 10, due only to the good acting of the majority of it's cast.

It doesn't seem to be able to make up it's mind whether or not it's meant to be funny or serious and it certainly doesn't delve into a major issue with the intense passion that is strikingly apparent in Loach's other films (e.g. Ladybird 10/10) and the conflict created by multi-racial relationships is dealt with far better in "Bend It Like Beckham". The love scene is unnecessary and very unLoach like - in fact, its inclusion plus the cutting away too soon from the conflict between the two lovers gives the film it's superficial feel.

My other favorite directors (Mike Leigh, Polanski, Von Trier) have disappointed me as well so it's proves that even the genius of the world can make errors, so I'm still a major fan of Mr Loach but have to say, looking forward to something much better next time.