EAST IS EAST (Cert 15, 92 mins). Comedy. Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Jimi Mistry, Chris Bisson, Emil Marwa, Ian Aspinall.

AH, the trials and tribulations of family life. The petty squabbles, sibling rivalries, sexual misidentity and teenage rebellion. Those were the days.

And now they're back with Damien O'Donnell's bravura adaptation of Ayub Khan-Din's award-winning stage play about the experiences of a Pakistani chip shop owner and his family in 70s Salford.

Om Puri plays George, a Muslim shopkeeper who wants the best for his wife (Linda Bassett) and seven children, and thinks that the key to family unity is ruling the household like a dictator.

When his eldest son Nazir (Ian Aspinall) leaves home, refusing to abide by an arranged marriage, George feels his authority slipping and quickly organises weddings for his next two sons, Abdul and Tariq. They go along with the plan for the sake of a bit of peace and quiet. Until, that is, they meet the their brides-to-be.

Oscillating between moments of intense emotional pain and slapstick, East Is East paints a rich and immediately engaging portrait of a family rapidly coming apart at the seams.

Puri and Bassett are both excellent, and really come into their own in the latter stages of the film when they find themselves pulling their children in diametrically opposing directions.

It's a credit to the writing and to O'Donnell's direction that the film manages to glide effortlessly between the emotional highs and lows. Brilliant.

RENT IT IF... you want to sample a generous portion of the best British comedy of last year. Rating *****