| Overall Grade: |
D- |
|
| Story: |
D+ |
|
|
| Acting: |
C+ |
|
|
| Direction: |
D |
|
|
| Visuals: |
C |
|
|
Negative Funny
by Lance (movies profile)
Feb 27, 2007
7
of
8 people found this review helpful
I see about 100 theatrical movies per year. I suppose that I've seen around 2000 movies in theaters. Searching for Comedy in the Muslim World is probably in the 10 worst movies that I have ever seen. It is deadly. Afterwards I felt shell-shocked, and I think I may have wandered around aimlessly in the lobby for a while.
Albert Brooks plays himself in the movie, an unfunny filmmaker and stand-up comic that is asked by the U.S government to go find what makes Muslims laugh. Where does he go? India. You know, right into the heart of the Muslim world. Why? Because if he (the person Brooks) made the movie somewhere else, the people wouldn't speak English. By the movie's own reckoning, around 90% of India is non-Muslim. Brooks (the character) takes the approach that he'll just ask Indians what makes them laugh. What you would you say to such a question? Well, he gets absolutely nothing from this approach. He discovers that there are no comedy clubs in India, so he sets up a comedy night starring, you guessed it, himself. Inexplicably, he decides to use material that is decidedly dependent upon American cultural references, specifically, references to American comedy. In an apparent attempt to satirize American comics, he does a deadly dull attempted send-up of, drum roll...ventriloquists and improv. The audience in the theater in the movie had the same reaction as the audience in the theater where I was sitting—dead silence, and wondering why they came. The material is not funny to Americans (yes, we _get_ the joke—make fun of American comics) or to Indians.
Upon hiring an assistant in-country, there is a painful sequence where Brooks tries to explain the concept of sarcasm to her; apparently, there is no sarcasm in India. This turns into a running gag which falls flat every time.
There are a couple of chuckles related to out-sourced call centers, but the joke gets old on its third iteration.
Again, inexplicably, there is a highly contrived plot point wherein Brooks' visa is screwed up and he can't get into Pakistan to find out what makes Pakistanis laugh. (Note—Pakistanis don't generally speak English.) So Brooks is smuggled across the border in the dead of night to meet with a group of a half-dozen aspiring Pakistani comics. They demand that Brooks perform for them, with the threat of violence to him if he doesn't (hilarious). So we are treated to the same deadly dull ventriloquist act once again, this time sans dummy. The Pakistanis find it hilarious but they are stoned out of their heads on hashish. Brooks' mid-night border crossing is somehow noted by some mysterious operatives in the Indian parliament as well as the Pakistani government, who interpret it as a spying mission. This results in a border buildup of military might. In case the audience doesn't read news, they are told that both countries have nuclear weapons. Are you laughing yet? This attempt at high comedy falls just as flat as the earlier attempts at low comedy.
Due to the international tension that has resulted, all high-level Americans (somehow, this includes Brooks) are forced to leave India. Upon returning to his home in California, the whole international conflict, as explained by on-screen text at the end of the movie, is resolved once it is discovered that it was caused by Albert Brooks. So—we have this huge and bizarre side-plot in which a billion people's lives are in danger, and it ends with this very unfunny whimper.
And what about the main plot? Well, the U.S. government had asked for a 500 page report on what is funny in the Muslim world. That in itself could be a rich source of comedy. What does Brooks do with it? Sweat the whole movie about whether he'll be able to make the page limit. The result? A six-page report. And that right there is a good ratio to describe this movie: about 6/500 of it is funny.
The best part of the movie is Brooks' in-country assistant, American actress Sheetal Sheth. She is very appealing with an empathetic aura—I would love to see her in another movie.
There is apparently a species living on Earth who find Brooks brilliant. I would love to meet one of these creatures and, assuming they speak English and are articulate, have them explain to me why Brooks is funny. |
My Public Profile 
