Review of Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2006) by Hallie G — 14 Feb 2012

Unfortunately you won't learn anything about the Muslim world or the comedy of India and Pakistan in this movie, because the protagonist is too inept at his research. Because I kept thinking I would have liked a little bit more success from Albert Brooks in his project, but perhaps the ineptitude was part of the point of this movie.

I also had to smack a few points off the score for stapling in a pretty assistant who brought a smidge of romantic tension to the partnering with 60-something Brooks, even though the character herself was not uncharming and not wholly misplaced from the ensemble of Brooks' team (could have been much worse from a feminist perspective!), but the bit when she came to him hoping for help getting rid of her jealous boyfriend was a bit revolting in stereotypical aging-man egomania and I could help wishing that they could have made that character less of the Hollywood female sex symbol stereotype - maybe less pretty, maybe more interesting.

All negs aside, I found the film and all the self-deprecation very affable and had some great laughs.