Brothers in Trouble

Illegal Pakistani immigrants, packed into a London house in the 1960s, work non-stop in abysmal conditions to send paltry sums home to their families. The arrival of Mary (Ball, proving The Commitments was no fluke) introduces a spark of humanity into their miserable existence, but also ultimately destroys it. This over-long film, a BBC production with German and Italian backing, is at its best when concentrating on the relationship between the newest immigrant Amir (Malhotra) and the studious Sakib (Kumar), but the pace is uneven and the final scene badly misjudged.