The Buddha of Suburbia

Star Review

Like Our Friends in the North, Boys from the Blackstuff and the first series of Shameless, The Buddha of Suburbia was one of those landmark TV shows that everyone but everyone had an opinion on at the time – and, curiously enough, in the wake of the adaptation of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and especially Shane Meadows’ genius This is England, it has become more rather than less important. With a terrific central performance from Naveen Andrews as the charismatic Karim who, following the revelation of his father’s affair with the exotic Eva, plunges into a world of hedonism and debauchery in both London and New York. Positively drenched in sex and drugs, The Buddha of Suburbia raised the bar for what was possible in television and paved the way for the likes of This Life and, arguably, Life on Mars. Director Roger Michel and author Hanif Kureishi teamed up again on both The Mother and the Oscar-nominated Venus, but The Buddha of Suburbia arguably remains their finest hour.

Peter Wild on 17th August 2007

View all 54 of Peter Wild’s reviews

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Film Description

When his father decides to swap the civil service and his bemused wife for the life of a suburban guru and a free-spirited lover, Karim's teenage existence is radically altered and he has to come to terms with his own complex identity in the rapidly changing world of 1970s England. Adapted from his own novel by Hanif Kureishi.

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DVD Extras

• 2 discs.

Film Details

Cast

Susan Fleetwood, Brenda Blethyn, Narveen Andrews, Roshan Seth, David Bamber

Technical Details