"Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World"

With a title like that, I doubt if this movie will ever make it to our local screens. In fact, Sony Pictures Classics was originally going to distribute the film in US but decided not to, citing controversy over the film's title, which they wanted to change. Warner Independent Pictures then picked up the film for US distribution.

When I saw this movie at the DVD store, I didn't think twice about buying it. To be frank, I'm not really an Albert Brooks fan, (I prefer Woody Allen !) and I have only watched a couple of his movies so far. Of course, Brooks is best remembered as the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo. I guess what made me get the movie was the title and to find out what the fuss is all about.

A lot of people has criticized this movie just on the fact that the movie was filmed in India, and well, everyone knows that India is not a Muslim country. So what ? If you are going to watch a politically correct movie, I'd suggest go watch Scary Movie 4 (lol) !! And obviously there's also lots of Indian jokes. So if you find this kind of thing offensive, I suggest you stay away from this movie.

The film begins with Albert Brooks (playing himself) being called upon by the US Government to discover what makes the Muslim community laugh. So off he goes to India and Pakistan on this mission. On arrival in Delhi, Brooks hires a female assistant, questions people in the street, and performs a hapless stand-up routine that only raises a few miserly chuckles. "It's not the end of the world when you bomb," Brooks said later in the movie, and is overheard by a Pakistani agent who thinks he's disclosing the USA's secret plans to attack Pakistan !

I find the movie funny, in a laid-back and gentle kind of way. It's a great satire on cultural differences and how little Americans understand the Indian culture. The movie is refreshingly different, instead of the normal big-budgeted movies we get nowadays. There's some nice scenes of Delhi and Taj Mahal too. The jokes about the crowded airplane and call centers in the rundown office are hilarious. Overall, the movie is worth watching if you are looking for few laughs and something original.