Albert Brooks returns as Albert Brooks in an amusing tale that finds him working for the United States government in an effort to better understand the Muslim people by discovering what makes them laugh. The assignment requires him to spend one month in India and Pakistan to write a 500-page report about his findings. He isn’t too keen on the idea until he is told he’ll be awarded a Medal of Freedom.
Two government agents and an Indian woman named Maya, played by the gorgeous Sheetal Sheth, assist Brooks. His research takes him to New Dehli, the Al Jezeera network and a secret crossing of the Pakistani border. The latter two destinations pique the interest of both governments and make them very suspicious. Very few people stop, let alone respond when stopped by Brooks on the street. Some don’t speak English and one gentleman doesn’t want anything to do with the U.S. government.
Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay and directed, finds comedy in the Muslim world and is able to do it without being crude or mean-spirited at the Indians’ or Pakistanis’ expense. He plays the same character he always plays, slightly neurotic and self-involved, which is fine by me because I find his observations and his frustrated, sarcastic asides funny. If you didn’t like him or his humor in films like Defending Your Life or Lost in America, you aren’t going to enjoy it now, so don’t bother.
He makes fun of himself and Hollywood. Most notably in a scene with Penny Marshall in which he auditions for a remake of Harvey that he is completely wrong for since he isn’t the new Jimmy Stewart. The remake of The In-Laws is slighted more than once and I would imagine rightfully so, though I never saw it.
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Article comments
1 - Tyler Newton
Ummm, yeah, if Brooks really wanted to do it right, he'd go to Indonesia. After all, Indonesia has the largest population of muslims in the world.
Sure India is #3 (Pakistan is #2), but India happens to the country with the largest population of HINDU's in the world. Many of his jokes are aimed at Indians, not simply Muslims.
And too many dumb americans are now going to think India is a muslim country.
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic...too bad Albert Brooks is an ignorant racist.
2 - El Bicho
It's a comedy not a documentary, meaning it's fictional, so there is no wrong way to do it. Besides, the film isn't titled "Looking for Comedy in the Country with the Most Muslims," so there's no reason the film has to take place in Indonesia. His jokes are aimed at many things, as happens in most comedies.
Do you find that many people actually get information from film titles? Were disappointed when there were no cows in "Raging Bull"? Were you disappointed that they went to the past in "Back to the Future"? Were you disappointed that no one went to Sounth America in "Brazil"?
What's pathetic is your reaction, but then I shouldn't expect much from an ignorant commenter who obviously hasn't seen the movie.
3 - Victor Plenty
Personally, I was extremly disgrunted when I discovered nobody ever sets any saddles on fire in Blazing Saddles; nobody ever gets near any stars, much less having wars on them, in Star Wars; and Showgirls doesn't have any shows or any girls.
4 - JR
Victor Plenty: Personally, I was extremly disgrunted when I discovered nobody ever sets any saddles on fire in Blazing Saddles
Yeah, and it certainly wasn't for lack of combustibles, so they don't have that excuse.
5 - Tyler Newton
"Do you find that many people actually get information from film titles? "
Yeah, and if "The Passion of the Christ" was about a hindu guy whose named happened to be Christ, Christians would throw a sh*t-fit this planet has yet to see.
Yes it's a comedy, not a documentary, but there is even truth in fiction.
In the scene where Brooks make his stupid joke about Martini's in LA, why should the girl laugh? Not only is it not too funny (besides the point), WHY SHOULD AN INDIAN IN INDIA GET THE JOKE???? It's not like Brooks would get inside jokes about Mumbai or New Delhi, so why should an indian understand a joke that you have to be an American to understand???
6 - Tyler Newton
"Besides, the film isn't titled "Looking for Comedy in the Country with the Most Muslims," so there's no reason the film has to take place in Indonesia"
Yes but the fact of the matter is that if his movie was set in Indonesia, morons like yourself would be screaming it's not the muslim world, because you are ignorant enough to think muslims are only in the middle east/pakistan/india. That's why he set it in India. Because of your original ignorance, and to perpetuate a falsity (AFTER ALL, INDIA IS RIGHTLY THE "HINDU WORLD")
7 - Roger
"It's a comedy not a documentary, meaning it's fictional, so there is no wrong way to do it."
Ummm, yeah, American History X is pure fiction, but it could have been done a wrong way. Luckily it was done the right way.
I don't buy the whole fiction = do as you please, especially when fictional films touch on sensitive issues, like race.
8 - Victor Plenty
Time to haul out the clue-by-four. Has it really not once occurred to you that going to the "wrong" countries in a search of "the Muslim world" could perhaps be part of the joke? Think about it! Isn't it just a tiny bit possible that Albert Brooks is poking fun at his fellow Americans' ignorance of the world outside their borders?
Wouldn't that make your accusations of racism utterly ridiculous and stupid?
Yes, it certainly would.
9 - Aaman
And maybe desicritics.org will make things clearer:)
Great post, El B - will link from Desicritics when we launch on the 26th
10 - El Bicho
Tyler/Roger, I saw you get busted in another post. I know you are one person, so use different names next time when you are trying to make it look like others agree with you.
Why did Maya laugh? Maybe she was beginning to understand his humor, which was a theme of the film if you had been paying attention. Maybe the actress broke character, yet that was the only take they could use. There wasn't a big budget. If that scene troubled you so much, you must have left the theatre and asked for your money back, right?
Although you might not have noticed, "Passion" wasn't really a comedy, so I don't see how the same rules apply.
Considering I didn't scream about the film being set in India, I'm not clear why you would think I would scream if the film was set in Indonesia? Read back through the post and comments and you will see that you are the only moron who has an issue with the title/location. And I am well aware that muslims live around the world.
By the way, just to avoid another meltdown, be forewarned that "Meatballs" with Bill Murray doesn't take place in an Italian restaurant.
Thanks, Aaman. Glad I could take part in the effort.
11 - zingzing
what else has albert brooks done that makes him look like a racist?
12 - Gladiator330
I believe this movie to be not just stupid but also to show how ignorant most of the previous reviewers are about movies in general.
You have no grasp in reviewing. It has no flow or rather a pushed flow and is not even black comedy it is purely pathetic.
1. The title is supposed to be a joke so do not argue about a joke (very stupid one).
2. If you can't get to sell your stuff the regular way maybe it is easier to have a friend in Warner to help you.
I believe this movie to be an explanation to why we see movies like Borat ridicule the American stereotypes. That is also why you cannot understand what is all about and that is what it had tried to grasp but failed.
Good luck
13 - amien rais
What'd it be if the movie had taken place in Indonesia? Though you're right it is the largest muslim country, there's no reason that an english speaking comedian would go there and perform. Why? Because more than 95% percent Indonesians do not speak English, let alone the muslims (which are generally less well educated as most of them are rural). So? Before you're asking why India and not Indonesia, use your brain moron.