My Beautiful Laundrette

My Beautiful Laundrette Quotes

An ambitious Asian Briton and his white lover strive for success and hope, when they open up a glamorous laundromat.

Nasser: I thought you two were getting married.
Omar: Yes, any day now.
Tania: I'd rather drink my own urine.
Omar: I hear it can be quite tasty with a slice of lemon.
Nasser: [to Omar] You need to know how to squeeze the tits of the system.
Nasser: [to Johnny] I'm a professional businessman not a professional Pakistani. And there is no question of race in the new enterprise culture.
Nasser: [to Omar] Nothing but a toilet and a youth club. A constant boil on my bum.
Papa: You must be getting married. Why else would you be dressed like an undertaker on holiday?
Omar: Going to Uncle's house, Papa. He's given me a car.
Papa: What? The brakes must be faulty. Tell me one thing because there's something I don't understand, though it must be my fault. How is it that scrubbing cars can make a son of mine look so ecstatic?
Omar: It gets me out of the house.
Papa: Don't get too involved with that crook. You've got to study. We are under siege by the white man. For us education is power.
[Omar shakes his head at his father]
Papa: Don't let me down.
Nasser: Where are those two buggers?
Johnny: [driving Cherry and Salim home, Omar stops by a bunch of street kids, one of whom is Johnny. Omar gets out of the car to talk to Johnny]
[indicating his friends]
Johnny: Like me friends?
Omar: Ring us then.
Johnny: I will.
[indicates the car where Cherry is getting very angry]
Johnny: Leave 'em there. We can do something. Now. Just us.
Salim: There's some things between them I'm looking into.
Tania: I'm going. You can come.
Johnny: No good jobs like this around.
Tania: Omar just runs you around everywhere, like a servant.
Johnny: I'll stay here with my friend and fight it out.
Tania: My family, Salim and all... will swallow you up like a little kebab.
Johnny: I couldn't leave him. Not now. Don't ask me to. You ever touched him?
Nasser: [Nasser bursts into the room where Johnny and Omar made love just moments before] What the hell are you doing? Sunbathing?
Omar: Asleep, Uncle. We were shagged out.
Nasser: What bloke?
Omar: He's called Johnny.
[first lines]
Johnny: We're moving house.
Omar: I'm being promoted. To Uncle's laundrette.
Papa: [throwing a pair of socks to Omar] Illustrate your washing methods!
Papa: This damn country has done us in. That's why I'm like this. We should be there. Home.
Nasser: But that country's been sodomised by religion. It's beginning to interfere with the making of money. Compared with everywhere... it's a little heaven, here.
Nasser: What are you doing, boy?
Omar: It will be going into profit any day now. Partly because I hired a bloke of astounding competence and strength of body and mind.
Papa: [on the phone] Oh, one thing more, try to fix him up with a nice girl. I'm not sure his penis is in full working order.
Salim: [to Omar] You're one of us now Omar.
Johnny: [to Omar] A laundrette as big as the Ritz. Oh yes.
Omar: It took you a while to get onto us.
Salim: Wanted to see what you'd do. How's your Papa? So many books written and read. Politicians sought him out. Bhutto was his close friend. But we're nothing in England without money.
Gang Member: Why are you working for these people? Pakis.
Johnny: It's work, that's why.
Salim: I want to talk to Omar about business.
Johnny: I dunno where he is.
Salim: Is it worth waiting?
Johnny: In my experience, it's always worth waiting for Omo.
Nasser: [to Omar] Bring Tania over here. Marry her. Well, what's wrong with her? When I say marry her, you damn well do it. Be nice to her, pressure off my fucking head. Your penis works doesn't it? Get going!
Omar: What are you going to do with me?
Nasser: What am I going to do with you? Turn you into something damn good.
Johnny: [Omar is showing Johnny round the laundrette] I'm dead impressed by all this.
Omar: You were the one at school. The one I liked.
Johnny: [sarcastically] All the Pakis liked me.
Johnny: Fuck me! What's she doing with that mouse?
[last lines]
Johnny: Don't you be touching me!
Papa: [to Omar] I don't want my son in this underpants cleaning condition.
Johnny: Today has been the best day.
Omar: Yeah, almost the best day.
Johnny: Ain't nothing I can say to make it up to you. There's only things I can do to show you... That I am with you.
Nasser: [to Omar] Okay, I charge you basic rent. The key you keep.
Nasser: Yes... But first we must marry Omar off.
[Cut to Omar and Johnny making love in the back room]
Nasser: [whilst having sex with his lover] Christ, you move like a liner.
Nasser: [to Omar] On the other hand a little water on the brain might clear your thoughts.
Johnny: We'll just have to do a job to get the money.
Omar: I don't want you going back to all that!
Johnny: Just to get us through, Omo. We're going to go on. You want that, don't you?
Omar: Yeah. I want you.
Omar: Where did you go? You just disappeared.
Johnny: Drinking, I went. With my old mates. It ain't illegal.
Omar: Of course it is, laundrettes are a big commitment. Why aren't you at work?
Johnny: It'll be closing time soon. You'll be locking the place up, and coming to bed.
Omar: No, it never closes. One of us has got to be there. That way, we begin to make money.
Johnny: You're getting greedy.
Omar: I want big money. I'm not going to be beat down by this country.
Omar: You know who I saw today? Johnny. Johnny!
Papa: The boy who came here dressed as a fascist with a quarter-inch of hair?
Omar: He was a friend once, for years.
Papa: There were times when he didn't deserve your admiration so much.
Omar: Christ, I've known him since I was five!
Papa: He went too far.
Papa: [to Omar] Work now till you go back to college. And I'm fixing you up with a job with your uncle.

Popular Movies view all

The Shawshank Redemption The Godfather The Godfather: Part II The Dark Knight The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Schindler\'s List Pulp Fiction Fight Club 12 Angry Men The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Inception