Themes: Culture Clash, Americans Abroad, Nothing Goes Right
Main Cast: Albert Brooks, Sheetal Sheth, Jon Tenney, John Carroll Lynch
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Comic and filmmaker Albert Brooks serves his country while struggling to get some laughs in this offbeat satiric comedy. Brooks plays himself, a comedic filmmaker whose most recent success was providing the voice of a fish for an animated feature and who has just been passed by as director for a remake of Harvey. As Brooks wonders what's going to happen next with his career, his wife (Amy Ryan), and his daughter, he's approached by government representatives who want him for a special assignment. The State Department, eager to better understand the cultural gap between the United States and the Middle East, have been directed by the president to make a study of what makes Muslims laugh. Brooks is asked to fly to India and Pakistan and bring back a 500-page report on Muslim humor; told the Medal of Freedom may be his if he comes through, Brooks accepts. With a pair of State Department officials in tow, Stuart (John Carroll Lynch) and Mark (Jon Tenney), and some help from a local assistant, Maya (Sheetal Sheth), Brooks sets out to find the funny bone of India's and Pakistan's Muslim communities, though it doesn't take long to find out what they don't find funny -- his standup act. Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World was originally set for release in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics, but when they became nervous over the film's title, they dropped the project and it was picked up for distribution by Warner Independent Pictures. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
The setup for Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World -- that the government sends Albert Brooks, playing a variation on his neurotic, narcissistic comedic persona, on an international fact-finding mission in order to learn what makes people in Muslim countries laugh -- is little more than an excuse for Brooks to fire off a stream of his characteristically witty one-liners while also writing jokes about what he himself thinks makes great comedy. The highlight of the film is Brooks performing some of his oldest routines in front of a crowd of non-comprehending Muslims. Any longtime fan of the comic should find these bits, especially the one involving him "improvising" a comedy bit on the spot, painfully funny. The humor is compounded by the fact that the audience Brooks is performing for in the movie remains mostly silent. Assuming the film's audience finds the classic Brooks routine funny, we are now laughing at the routine as well as the fact that he as a performer is dying on-stage. That moment should make a viewer question why he or she is laughing, and why the audience in the film is not -- and this is the larger theme of the entire film. Brooks is getting at a lesson not dissimilar to the one Preston Sturges served up in Sullivan's Travels: everybody laughs, and that brings joy in even the most difficult situation. Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World falls short of offering any deep insight, but it might make the audience think just a little about the nature of comedy. For that reason, and as an excuse to film Brooks doing some of his classic standup bits, the movie is certainly worthwhile. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Amy Ryan - Emily; Fred Dalton Thompson - Fred Dalton Thompson; Conrad Bachmann - Ben Wallerstein; Steve Kramer - Sam Loman; Kavi Raz - Translator; B.J. Ward - Barbara Nader; Penny Marshall - Penny Marshall; Tony Montero - Don Budge; Ajay Mehta - Indian Official; Victoria Burrows - Casting Director; Marshall Manesh - Shaif Al-Rafi; Kevin Mukherji - Spotlight Man; Subash Kundanmal - Pakistani Official; P.D. Mani - Pakistani Comedian; Homie Dorodian - Mageed; Yasmine Hannaney - Receptionist; Marco Kahn - Pakistani Comedian; Emma Lockhart - Laura; Paul Eric Jerome - Studio Executive; Lynda Berg - Margaret Allenton; Vipin Kumar - Customs Agent; Avinash Kaur - Job Applicant; Juliet Touzene - Job Applicant; Sunny Raina - Job Applicant; Rima Laham - Job Applicant; Sanjeev Johrai - Hotel Guest; Imran Mashkoor Khan - Concierge; Kavita Ashok - Waitress; Sandhya Bhatia - Street Interview; Mitlesh Prasad - Street Interview; Manoj Buxi - Street Interview; Surinder Arora - Man in Temple; Gabbar Singh - Guide at Mosque; Raul Laskarov - Man in Bar; Duncan Bravo - Stage Manager; Barbara Ali - School Official; Ali Supriwala - Fan; Sankalp Rastogi - Audience Member; Dhiru Shah - Indian Official; Radha Zaidi - Indian Official; Anand Vadehra - Pakistani Comedian; Lalit P. Jobanputra - Pakistani Comedian; Gagan Deep Singh - Pakistani Comedian; Mike Akrawi - Pakistani Comedian; Ben Anand - Pakistani Official; Raghu Bhagat - Pakistani Official; Ahmed Ahmed - Escort; Sameh Sheik - Mukhtar Al-Mujib; Shaheen Sheik - News Anchor; Linden Soles - News Anchor; Reena Dutt - Bar Patron
Credit
John Bucklin - Art Director, Mychal Smith - Boom Operator, Victoria Burrows - Casting, Scott Boland - Casting, Deborah Everton - Costume Designer, Angela Amaro - Costume Designer, Leah P. Brown - Costume Designer, Nazhat Sharif Hester - Costume Designer, Eric Tignini - First Assistant Director, Arif Shamsi - First Assistant Director, Albert Brooks - Director, Anita Brandt-Burgoyne - Editor, Joann Perritano - Executive Producer, Jay Traynor - Location Manager, Sanjay Kumar - Location Manager, Pravesh Sahni - Line Producer, Michael Giacchino - Composer (Music Score), Steve Hiller - Camera Operator, Harry K. Garvin - Camera Operator, Stephen Altman - Production Designer, Thomas E. Ackerman - Cinematographer, Rajeev Mehra - Production Manager, Albert Brooks - Producer, Herb Nanas - Producer, Deepak Nayar - Producer, Joann Perritano - Producer, Tabrez Noorani - Producer, Sonic Magic Studios - Production Sound, Dan Wallin - Recording, Mike Aarvold - Recording, David Hopkins - Set Designer, Dan Wallin - Sound Mixer, Sonic Magic Studios - Sound Mixer, Mike Aarvold - Sound Mixer, Joann Perritano - Unit Production Manager, Sanjay Kumar - Unit Production Manager, Albert Brooks - Screenwriter, Jamison Goei - Visual Effects Supervisor, David Van Slyke - Sound Effects Editor, Chad J. Hughes - Sound Effects Editor, Paul Livingston - Additional Music, Sookie Park - Matte Artist, Claire Raskind - Unit Publicist, Linda Gacsko - First Assistant Camera, Darin Necessary - First Assistant Camera, Raman Rao - Gaffer, Ray Gonzales - Gaffer, Gino Mifsud - Grip, Tom Skulski - Grip, Chris Goe - Grip, Fred Dale - Grip, Mark W. Pickens - Grip, Tim Spicka - Grip, Stephen J. Peirano - Grip, Jerry Sandager - Key Grip, Christian Byers - Key Grip, Mike Andreas - Music Editor, Stephen M. Davis - Music Editor, Brad Arensman - Post Production Supervisor, Matthew Hirsch - Production Coordinator, Don Miloyevich - Properties Master, Ezra Dweck - Re-Recording Mixer, Jonathan Wales - Re-Recording Mixer, Carol Banker - Script Supervisor, Sunday Stevens - Second Assistant Director, Harry K. Garvin - Steadicam Operator, Lacey Terrell - Still Photographer, Jonathan Miller - Supervising Sound Editor, Zeke Richardson - ADR Editor, Matthew C. Beville - ADR Recordist, Shannon Tymkiw - Art Department Assistant, David Larson - Assistant Hair, Catherine Kagan - Assistant Location Manager, Jay Wejebe - Assistant Makeup, Stacy Foot - Assistant Production Coordinator, Cheri Paul - Assistant Properties, Robert McCarty - Best Boy Grip, Randy Kutcher - Best Boy Grip, Russell Ayer - Best Boy Grip, Alan Colbert - Best Boy Grip, Kristen Gassner - Buyer, Craig M. Bauer - Camera Loader, Kevin Britton - Camera Loader, Tineka Becker - Casting Assistant, Wayne Springfield - Construction Coordinator, Rachel Sage Kunin - Costumes Supervisor, Zeke Richardson - Dialogue Editor, Ponch Gutierrez - Dolly Grip, Erik Bernstein - Electrician, Edward B. Bernstein - Electrician, Jeff Durling - Electrician, Barry Gross - Electrician, Andrew B. Horton - Electrician, Dylan Rush - Electrician, Background Players - Extra Casting, Richard Castro - First Assistant Accountant, Jerry Carville - First Assistant Accountant, Helen Hand - First Assistant Editor, Shelley Roden - Foley Artist, Jeremy Balko - Foley Editor, Fran Allgood - Key Costumer, Sean Ginevan - Leadman, Marja Adriance - Personal Assistant, Fran Messer - Personal Assistant, R. C. Baral - Post Production Accountant, Chris Furia - Production Accountant, Lisa Furia - Second Assistant Accountant, Matthew Kennedy - Second Assistant Camera, Rob Monroy - Second Assistant Camera, Steven F. Beaupre - Second Second Assistant Director, James Daniel Fernandez - Set Dresser, Cameron Matheson - Set Dresser, Chris Parker - Set Dresser, David Loitz - Set Dresser, Alan Easley - Set Dresser, Jason Kemp - Set Production Assistant, Sarah E. Baker - Set Production Assistant, Clark Credle - Set Production Assistant, Doug Miller - Transportation Captain, Randy Musselman - Transportation Coordinator, Rez-Illusion - Visual Effects, Chris Spellman - Set Decorator, Barbara Harris - ADR Voice Casting, Steve Sheridan - Color Timing, Marc Stevens - Construction Foreman, For Stars Catering - Craft Service/Catering, Rich Cody - Craft Service/Catering, Peter M. Starkman - Craft Service/Catering, Dave Calaway - Driver, John Ternenyi - Driver, Valerie Bartzack - Driver, Janda Braden - Driver, Diane Glavin - Driver, Leon L. Glavin - Driver, George Graham - Driver, Richard Lengle - Driver, John McComb - Driver, Tommy Oberlin - Driver, Pat Carman - Driver, Kelly Colgan - Driver, Bernard Glavin - Driver, Dave Glavin - Driver, Don Harris - Driver, Sandy Hinkle - Driver, Kelly Hustis - Driver, Timonthy C. Jensen - Driver, Beverly Seifert - Driver, Ray Van Holten - Driver, Jeremy Balko - Foley Mixer, Marcy Nelson-Fraser & Associates - Negative Cutter, Jason Inman - Set Medic/First Aid, Bernie Granados, Jr. - Set Medic/First Aid, Larz Anderson - Special Effects Technician, Michael J. Hogan - Video Assist, Cygnet Video - Video Playback, William Eliscu - Graphic Design, Pacific Title - Title Design, Katherine Wilson - Art Department Coordinator, Linda Arnold - Department Head Hair, Kate Shorter - Department Head Makeup, Greg Allinson - Properties Maker, Ken Balles - Properties Maker, Steve "Batman" Clark - Properties Maker, John G. Gallaher - Properties Maker, Brian Garrett - Properties Maker, Guy A. Herman - Properties Maker, Jesse McLeod - Properties Maker, Richard Brondum - Painter, Kyle Kilty - Painter, Bill Ross - Painter, Michael J. Vasquez - Painter
Upon reaching India, Brooks begins interviewing Indians and gathering material for the 500-page essay expected of him from the government. He is aided by two agents (who actually help very little) and an Indian girl named Maya who was hired as his assistant. Brooks' interviews and a failed stand-up performance begin to attract the attention of the Indian government, who fear he is a spy of some sort. When Brooks, unable to get a visa, illegally enters Pakistan for four hours to interview several fledgling Pakistani comedians, the Indian government becomes even more paranoid, increasing border control. This action causes alarm to Pakistan, who responds with security measures of their own. As tension between the countries grows, the American government orders Brooks to leave the country and return to America. It is later said that the tension between Pakistan and India is resolved after they learn that everything was Brooks' fault. It is also revealed that Maya sent what was written of the report to Washington, which received no recognition.
Reviews and box-office
The film received mixed reviews from critics. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it received 42% positive reviews.[1] It opened in limited release (in only 161 theatres) and earned a total gross of $888,975, considerably less than its budget of $10 million.[2]
