Hyde Park Pick: My Beautiful Laundrette

This is the beautiful launderette in the film of the same name, which is this week’s Pick: My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), director Stephen Frears and writer Hanif Kureshi’s wonderfully refreshing mix of relaxed gay romance, social realist drama and critique of Thatcherism.

At once poetic and magical at times, it’s also pointedly political, as it dissects (Conservative) economic greed, racism and class division. All this, set amid generational conflict, filtered through the experience and expectations of first- and second-generation immigrants and widespread homophobia, driven (in part) by the reaction to the AIDS pandemic of the early '80s.

That we now have a newly laundered 40th Anniversary restoration of this groundbreaking, successful, iconic and career-making film is both welcoming and timely given the, ahh… current state of British society. The film’s narrative themes and concerns are still something our country seems to be unable to discuss with caring, understanding, humour and intelligence, whilst it instead lets division run rampant. 

My Beautiful Laundrette however, is perfectly comfortable in telling and we should be all the more grateful that this gem of British film is still able to do so. We shouldn’t ever seek to return to it, but yes, we can indeed learn from our past.

As a side note: whilst we’re discussing washing dirty laundry in public, I’d also like to show you our beautiful laundrette:

This is where the cinema gets its washing done: primarily our many cleaning cloths and towels. It’s just one small element of the huge amount of work going on behind the scenes (by our lovely and committed Services Coordinator & Facilities teams in particular) that it takes to keep our heritage building clean, shiny and presentable, so we’re able to watch brilliant films together, like this one, in the first place.

We’re always keen to support fantastic local businesses and Cardigan Dry Cleaners & Laundrette is just 5mins walk away from the Picture House. Just don’t expect Gordon Warnecke and Daniel Day Lewis to be peeking through a two-way mirror at you, whilst enjoying some naughty fun times together, as you wash your smalls.

My Beautiful Laundrette is showing at HPPH from Friday. You can book tickets here.