Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005) User Reviews

"Was that a joke?" Look elsewhere for comedy.

[NoWireHangers · 4/10 · 6 August 2006]

Albert Brooks is sent by the US government to India on a mission to find out what makes muslims laugh. Why India? Yes there's a lot of muslims there but most of the people Brooks meet seems to be Hindus. No matter what they are they don't think he's funny. And he isn't. Not in this movie.

Initially, most of the jokes are based on how badly planned his trip was. He gets to fly business class instead of first class. Nobody comes to pick him up at the airport so he has to take a cab. His office is small and has no computer, etc. Funny? After that, there is a slightly amusing scene where he has a conversation with his secretary, Maya, and they don't know when the other is joking or not. "Was that a joke?". According to his plans, he was supposed to go to Pakistan, but he doesn't get a visa, so he has to cross the border illegally in order to spend a couple of hours there with some would be comedians. This makes Indian and Pakistani intelligence agents suspicious, and there's almost a political conflict. Brooks realises he has failed and goes is sent back to the US. The End. His wife, unaware of his failure, thinks he's a big hero. The political subplot about the conflict Brooks almost caused, is tied up by means of on-screen text before the closing credits. The main plot also goes nowhere. I'm not sure what Brooks tried to do with this movie. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, and it doesn't work as a dark comedy nor as a satire. Unfortunately, with this movie, real-life Brooks ends up like on-screen Brooks: trying, but failing, to be funny. "Is that the joke?". I'll never know.

So what we have here is a movie with no real laughs and a premise that could be funny, but goes nowhere. Too bad, really, because I expected this movie to be much better. Not recommended to waste money on.

Brooks finds just enough laughs in the Muslim world

[eichelbergersports · 6/10 · 16 January 2006]

In an inspired cinematic premise, especially in these times, Albert Brooks plays himself as a comedian asked to find out what makes a large portion of the world laugh.

Of course, execution of this concept leaves a bit to be desired, but it does have its fairly funny moments, especially in the opening moments, when Brooks aspires to be the lead in a remake of "Harvey." He fails to impress the director (Penny Marshall) with his desire to be "the new Jimmy Stewart," and Marshall's phony, "I liked your work in 'The In-Laws'" doesn't help his ego, either.

At home, he receives a letter from the State Department asking for him to be part of a special commission deigned to found out what Muslims construe as comedy. He goes to Washington DC, meets former Tennessee senator Fred Dalton Thompson (TV's "Law & Order"), and agrees to travel to India and Pakistan to see what makes the population laugh (despite his assignment to write a 500-page report on the topic).

He leaves his lovely wife, Amy Ryan ("Capote," 'War of the Worlds") and cute-as-a-button daughter, Laura (Emma Lockhart, "Batman Begins") for a month's adventure - not for money, but for the opportunity to be awarded the Medal of Freedom ("the nice one - with the colored ribbon").

Brooks makes the point some might bring up that India is basically a Hindi country, although over 100 million Muslims reside there (also, it's doubtful Brooks, as a Jew, would have been welcome in some of the more militant Middle Eastern countries).

Anyway, Brooks soon begins his patented celebrity whining on the flight to New Dehli, as he and his two State Department escorts, Stuart (John Carroll Lynch, "Gothika") and Mark (Jon Tenney, TV's "The Closer") are forced to fly economy class, and are then stuck in a rundown office. During these interior office scenes, Brooks keeps passing a roomful of phone operators ("There are two spin cycles on that machine," "Welcome to the William Morris Agency," "This is the White House, how may I direct your call") in another funny bit.

After hiring a lovely Indian woman, Maya (Sheetal Sheth), Brooks begins asking people on the street what makes them laugh. He is given answers from "I don't know," to "I don't speak English and please don't touch me," to a long and involved joke about being happy and laughing. Not garnering anything from this effort, Brooks decides to put on a comedy concert for about 300 Indians. This segment is pretty funny, as well, as few in the audience understand the comedian's humor (he tells a lame Halloween "Gandhi" joke, does a really bad ventriloquist act and the old "changing the improve" bit) and have little or no reaction to it.

Later, he sneaks into Pakistan and does the same routine for a group of stoned "budding comedians" who do not speak English (it's a huge success), accidentally starts an armed conflict between the two countries and is offered a part as a Hebrew man who moves into a mostly Muslim apartment complex in the inaugural situation comedy from al-Jazeera, "That Darn Jew."

The bottom line of this movie is that Muslims really don't laugh a whole lot, especially if the jokes are not funny (I guess that could be said of most anyone)and they do not get the subject. It could have been even more biting and daring, but I suppose Brooks (who wrote and directed, as well) didn't want to rock the boat too much.

I've liked most of Brooks' work (he was great in "Broadcast News" and deserved the Oscar; and "Defending Your Life," "Lost In America" and "Real Life" were terrific films), and while some jokes fall pretty flat here (as does the weak subplot of Maya and her Iranian boyfriend), this is still pretty decent work.

Yeah, I would have liked to have seen him do his stand-up in Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt or even Saudi Arabia, but I understand his reasoning (sort of). Plus, I laughed more often than not, so, as a comedy, it did its job, at least in my opinion.

Good satire that could have been a little stronger

[Alberto-7 · 6/10 · 7 February 2006]

***Some very light spoilers***

While this is not as good as Albert Brooks' Lost in America, it does contain enough witty observations and funny characters to make it worth seeing. Brooks plays a character he has played before, namely a man who reacts to situations. The premise of the movie is quite good: The US State Department want to find out what makes Muslims tick(or laugh if you prefer) and send our reluctant hero to India and Pakistan to observe and write a 500 page report(if he can also find out what makes Hindus laugh, even better). Two "suits" from the State Department accompany him to "help" handle whatever problems he may have. Obviously the setup here is for these clowns to make his life difficult. Some of this does happen but it is not developed enough to make them memorable characters. Once in India, Brooks must hire a local assistant to help him. This leads to probably the best part of the film (certainly one of the funniest) when he interviews potential candidates. I won't spoil the fun here but let us just say that the "suits" did not screen the candidates too thoroughly. The assistant he does hire is easily the most interesting character of the film. Played by Sheetal Sheth as an eager ready to please assistant who really, really wants to learn, she outshines all the others in this film. Many gags follow as they try and find out what people find funny. the humor is really full of throwaway bits (the call center gags come to mind) as well as some great visual gags (the Taj Mahal gag had me laughing out loud). A lot of the humor is at Albert Brooks character's expense so , as far as I'm concerned, the film does not take itself very seriously(The whole meeting with representatives of Al Jezeera is quite good). Many times a situation is not developed to its potential leaving the viewer a little perplexed. The end is a perfect example. They built up the situation in the last 20 minutes or so and just when we are about to have a payoff, they rush the ending and give us a very limited payoff. Overall, I would still recommend the film, just go in knowing that this is a satire and enjoy.

Painfully Un-funny

[FilmFan777 · 2/10 · 2 October 2006]

Look, I like Albert Brooks. I find him wittingly funny. However this film was an absolute bore. The 'Idea' of the film was far more humorous than the film itself. This film is one of the very best examples that 'the' funniest parts of the film were in the trailer. And the trailer's funny parts were, well, just somewhat humorous.

The most unbearable part for me (along with most of the film) was the scene where he did his stand up routine for an audience at a school auditorium. 'Me', and American, who actually really likes Brooks, found the routine, the 'elongated' routine absolutely not funny. If it wouldn't even appeal to us in a satirical way, how, why..... it simply was not funny! It's been a looooong time since I've ever not watched an entire film because it was so bad. Though I made it through this one to the end, I cant remember the last time I wanted so bad to cut my losses and shut it down. I should have.

But don't just go by me. There are people here that found some sense of humor in it, so might you. Yet for me, I'd rather have gone to the dentist.

Deeper comment to understand cultural differences

[sss_external · 7/10 · 6 December 2007]

I liked the movie quite a lot. Being from India, and living in a US for a little while, I deal with cultural differences very often in my own life. While differences in food, garments, language and architecture are easy to feel, they are the tip of a cultural iceberg. And that is what this movie conveys very well. We cannot hope to understand other cultures unless we recognize their deeper aspects and humour is one such. In the movie, Brooks steals into Pakistan to meet the aspiring comedians. But the funny question is, did they laugh with him, or his Pakistani translator?

A couple of things could have been better treated. An Iranian boyfriend for an Indian girl is not as normal as shown. Nor, is the country devoid of comedy shows. Indian TV and films have a special place of honour for comedians. Some of the best on-the-face humour is in Pakistani plays on TV. But I grant that as a literary license to Brooks. After all, the story is not about India or Pakistan, or even its comedians. The story is about American and how much (little) its people understand other cultures. And, its is a very understand story, do not mistake it to be funny or a laugh riot.

Missed the Mark

[paulbertolone · 3/10 · 29 September 2006]

A previous reviewer implied that this film was a "thinking man's comedy," but I fail to see where the thought provocation is in this one. I've always considered Al Brooks to be a hit or miss comedian. His Woody Allen-esquire neurosis and laid back delivery work great in some movies but fail miserably in others. Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World unfortunately fails to hit the target and is ranked among Brooks' great misses.

The plot is original (which, in itself deserves merit these days), basically showing Brooks playing himself and recruited by the US government to travel to India to write a report on what Muslims find funny. Assigned to a small office next to an Indian telemarketing/help desk boiler room, he ventures out repeatedly to interview pedestrians and promote a comedy show which he and an assistant hope will generate material for his report.

The film is segmented into a few phases which all sort of fall short of funny. The set-up led me to believe that a very funny movie were in store, but as the story continued and the characters arrived in India, the movie began to drag. A few chuckles could be had by the observant viewer but I wouldn't expect any gut-busters. The humor kind of borders observational and situational, but mostly I found the jokes to be tired and forced, e.g. Brooks struggling through the language barrier while interviewing ethnic Indians and Muslims to be his assistant.

As the story progresses to his presence in India and surreptitious venture into Pakistan being confused as espionage, the laughs come to a halt and one feels that an over-arching cultural message may be presented. It never does, and the climax comes so abruptly with an ending text scroll that I was less concerned with resolution to the story and more concerned with wondering if they ran out of money and had to end production.

This one was a real stinker. As I wrote, laughs can be had if you pay attention, but I predict it will be quickly forgotten as another Brooks misstep.

Actually, very funny but don't expect it to hit you in the face

[dublin9 · 7/10 · 23 January 2006]

Albert Brooks is not one of my all time or even a mid-level favorite. He's always reminded me of someone who is simultaneously constipated and burdened with chronic heartburn.

With that out of the way, my wife and myself went on a date to the local movie theater this weekend and saw "Looking for Comedy in the Moslem World." This is really funny stuff, from concept through execution. But the humor won't grab you by the neck and shake you till you "get it." It won't hold up a cue card and tell you when to laugh. And it won't slam you in the face with a cream pie.

Don't listen to anybody hand you their politically correct nonsense about this movie being offensive. To anyone whose mind rises above the level of nit picking, they will leave the theater feeling light hearted and very entertained.

8 out of 10 (actually it's 7.5 out of 10 but who cares)

Brooks will have to look elsewhere and probably change his naive methods

[Faizan · 17 December 2005]

Albert Brooks should look elsewhere to fulfill his quest of learning what makes Muslims laugh. The approach of this film and its execution are so heavily drenched in Western stereotypes about the people they want to study, it's a surprise the title doesn't use the word 'Moslem' instead of 'Muslim'.

Made in a sort of 'wink, wink, nudge, nudge' manner, it has Brooks playing himself at a point in time when his career prospects are slim and decent roles are hard to come by. Luckily for him the white house and state department come knocking and Brooks is sent off to the subcontinent to write a report on what makes Muslims laugh. Forget that India is officially a secular nation (the movie reasons there are about 150 Muslims there) or that Al spends in all about 15 minutes in neighboring Pakistan (an Islamic country), the fact remains that nothing about this film, except a scant few one liners, is funny or amusing. The list of crimes it commits with regard to typecasting is enormous and unforgivable – an office in the tech capital of the world has no computer, trendy young English speaking Indian women only wear sari's and the Pakistani's that meet Brooks look like bearded fundamentalists who smoke hashish- all of which shows great naiveté on the part of everyone involved with this misguided attempt, even if the irresponsible intent was to be tongue in cheek.

The method used by Albert Brooks to understand what is considered funny to these people is putting on a standup comedy show in both India and Pakistan, but this doesn't work too well. Was it ever considered by him that perhaps it isn't the understanding of the English language that prevents the Indian audience from finding him funny, but that all the gags are soaked in cultural references completely alien to them (Halloween, 'The Exorcist' etc.)? Or that the people being targeted aren't really aware of just what standup comedians really do. It becomes pretty clear that the movie is played for obvious lowbrow humor by displaying ignorance about its purpose that borders on being a sham and the real point is to milk the present hysteria about the people of the Muslim community and make some quick bucks in process via the mild publicity it has already received for its attention grabbing title. Give this one a pass.

Wouldn't make a 5 yr old laugh.

[NeilCardiff · 1/10 · 25 September 2006]

We'll I must admit, I'm quite confused. If this is an attempt to explore the Muslims sense of humour then I think maybe it would have been a good idea to actually have some FUNNY content, especially in the stand up routines. On the other hand if this is a parody on the differences in humour then it failed completely because all I saw was someone who totally failed to understand his subject and was quite offencive at times.

Well. I'll put it like this, For a comedy, it wasn't funny. For an exploration of Muslim humour, it wasn't even a tiny bit insightful. For a bridge building exercise, it was embracing. And for a movie, it was a complete waste of my time.

Bookends Albert Brooks' career as writer/director

[vonnoosh · 7/10 · 29 November 2022]

Albert Brooks comes full circle as a star/writer/director with this movie. From playing a fictionalized caricture of himself in Real Life to playing a fictionalized caricature of himself in Looking For Comedy in the Muslim World. This even has Penny Marshall in the beginning like his '76 short film about a comedian school. Its been 17 years since this was released and Brooks is now in his mid 70s so I doubt he will labor to handle all three tasks again.

Brooks doesn't play as much of a caricature of himself in this movie compared to Real Life and thats for the best. He is playing someone who is a fish out of water instead of someone who is comically tone deaf while being in over his head.

Brooks' comedy is driven by dry humor and subtle scenes that catch you off guard with the humor. Its almost like they aren't intended to make you laugh, you just do anyway. Subtle humor is less appreciated now with attention spans about as long as short hairs but if you give yourself time to pay attention instead of waiting to react, then you will like this movie.

The plot is about Brooks being tasked by the state department to find out what makes Muslims (and Hindis too as it turns out) laugh and it centers around the performing of a standup act. It is a product of its time ("Wars on Terror") which dates it but I found it enjoyable enough. Deserved kudos for not being particularly offensive too. There is a subtle line there that does not get crossed. Some looking for reasons to be angry might try to find something they consider wrong in this picture but that's more on them and not the movie.

As I said, this is somewhat dated and it surprisingly coincides with the actual increased tensions between India and Pakistan that occurred in the 2000s. I cant remember the exact year their strained relations made international news but i know it was before 2008. This film is also daring for American audiences considering 9/11 happened only a few years earlier and Bush's wars were raging upon its release. I can imagine war hawks hating this movie for one reason and anti war zealots hating it for other reasons and the rest who dont like it never were fans of subtle humor to begin with. I personally just think of comedy when watching a comedy and find this to be pure Brooks. It is even the theatrical debut of some of his vintage standup material. It isn't his best work but alot better than the reception it got and rating it has. People treat it like it's as lousy as the love guru.

This movie is TERRIBLE!!!! Don't waste your time like i did!!!

[NickelBak · 1/10 · 9 February 2006]

The Good: This movie is not offensive (my family is from Delhi where most of the movie takes place) to any group except movie goers. The Bad: Watching this movie I just came back from the movie theatre where I wasted my money and part of my life and I deeply regret this. This movie is terrible. I can't believe I made that big a mistake seeing it and I especially can't believe anyone liked it or would give it 10 stars (did you see the ending?). It is not a joke when people say this movie is not for everyone. Reading the posted comments, I did get the jokes...it's just they are really lame. The whole movie is about how bad a comedian Albert Brooks is (part of the joke...but not funny). Would anyone in their right mind want to watch a bad comedian make a movie about how bad he is? I laughed three times in this movie....and that's it. There were comedic moments, ie. The Taj Mahal Scene, call-centre bits, explosives training...all lame...you think that's funny...but that is the only reaction you'll have. The movie could at least be engaging but it's not. Unless you are a fan of his Albert Brooks is a depressing force on screen. His voice is depressing, his acting is terrible. It looks like Albert Brooks made this movie so he would have work. I totally understand why it was relegated to one theatre in my area so quickly and then disappeared...not even lasting 3 weeks.

If You Like Brooks' Dry Humor, You'll Love This

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 25 January 2007]

I really enjoyed this Albert Brooks film. I especially label it an "Albert Brooks film" because he's so different and his humor so different that if you don't know what you are in for, you can be very disappointed. He is somewhat unique in that his humor is low-key, deadpan-delivery and full of sarcasm.

I love his sarcasm, so the guy makes me laugh. Many others watch a film like this and say, "What's funny? This is not a comedy; it stinks." Since I am familiar with Brooks' style and laugh at his delivery and self-deprecating and insulting humor, I knew what I was in for with this film. However, I knew this could be a "bomb," too, like a few other of his films....but it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise: it was far better than I anticipated.

Brooks plays himself in the film and pokes fun not only at himself and his non-famous career but also at government bureaucracy. In this film he is an over-the-hill unemployed comedian who is asked to help our country, the United States, with Muslim relations by finding out what makes Muslims laugh. By making people laugh more, perhaps it would ease tensions.

Brooks is told he will receive the Medal Of Freedom for his efforts, which include a 500-page report on his findings! He isn't thrilled about that last part, but he does have a good attitude about his scheduled month-long trip to India and Pakistan.

Without giving anything away, I thought that what happened on this trip was very funny. Brooks - and the reaction of people around him - just cracked me up. It also was a pleasure to enjoy the supporting cast, led by a very likable, attractive Indian actress by the name of Sheetal Sheth.

Overall, highly recommended but know who Brooks is and what he's about, or you'll be disappointed.

Something to take with a grain of salt

[butler_erh · 7/10 · 10 January 2006]

I also went to see this film in D.C. when it was shown by the Center for American Policy and I have to say I found it very funny.

While the first poster made some valid points about Brooks not considering that the reason that the audience in the stand up scene was not because they didn't understand the language but because they didn't get the cultural reference. However, I think they missed that such ignorance by Americans is the point of the movie. Brooks wants the audience to consider just how little we understand about the Muslim world. The biggest laughs for me came when Brooks showed just how little he knew his audience.

In the end the larger context of "Comedy", and one Brooks made in his comments after the film, the time we spend attempting to understand the culture, ideals, and humor, of another society will do more for peace than 1 stealth bomber.

I enjoyed "Comedy" for it's off kilter sense of humor as well as its larger message. I think when people see it they should concentrate less on Brook's search for comedy and more on what it means to look for comedy in another civilization.

Save time!! Stay away!! the worst movie I have seen in a long time

[jhunjhun · 1/10 · 3 December 2007]

I got the DVD for this one from Blockbuster thinking it would be a nice satire on the Muslim world and subsequently funny!! But boy was I mistaken. Firstly the way they have depicted Indian people in the movie is so stereotyped that I wanted to puke!!! A club in new delhi with people only dressed in traditional clothes...turbans..sarees...and this movie was made in 2005....r u kidding me!!!! Does the director even knw how cosmopolitan new delhi is...let alone the fact that most of the clubs wouldn't even allow you to enter in traditional Indian clothes!!! Maybe I am just being nitpicky here but every thing about the movie (including the absolute loss of humour!!) was so retarded that I had to stop the movie midway....trust me when I say this..i have a lot patience while watching movies...and have never ever switched off a movie midway but watching this was so painful that I had to do it....save your time...stay away and if you manage to get our hands on a copy ...burn it...you wouldn't even want your enemies to watch this...AWFUL!!!!

Amusing

[dj_bassett · 23 January 2006]

Lightweight but charming Albert Brooks vehicle has Brooks flying to India and Pakistan to do what the title says. Movie is full of very pointed criticisms of America and Americans: that, despite our good intentions, we're self-involved, ignorant of foreign cultures, condescending, and disruptive when we're not foolish (humorously, Brooks single-handedly brings India and Pakistan to the brink of war). Ironically, Brooks's stand-up bombs in India but is a big hit in Pakistan, suggesting I suppose that we're far more alike than different. Movie suffers from the typical Brooks flaw of being more a concept than an actual story – it just sort of ends arbitrarily, for instance. But I admire Brooks deeply – he's the guy Woody Allen wants to be – and I always enjoy seeing him perform. Not everybody can wear his learning as lightly as Brooks. This movie is a good example, also, of how to make political critiques without shrieking at your audience. Subtlety is always the key.

Shockingly many people seem to have missed the point: the movie is not about Muslims but rather American's response to the foreign, a very different thing. I'll just say it's not a mistake that Maya comes off the best in the movie; that's the point.

of course

[wrlang · 3/10 · 6 October 2006]

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World is about an American stand up comic that gets a government assignment to find out what tickles the funny bone of Muslims. Brooks goes from audience to audience and tries American comedy on lethargic onlookers that don't seem to get it. Well of course people with a drastically different background and knowledge base will not appreciate American humor. That's the humor behind it. Brooks does a decent job, but the comedy is by design rather slow and plodding. Some funny moments, but mostly dry with no zip. If you're looking for a bunch of good laughs, skip this movie. If you're looking for a Brooks movie because you like Brooks, try this one.

Sincere effort to show Amercan incomprehension of other cultures

[rexlion · 7/10 · 22 January 2006]

Overall I liked the movie - I understand why Brooks would have preferred to work in India than in a Muslim country. The focus here is to understand alien culture - it does not really matter which one it is as long as it is not American. I loved the way he captures the people and the imagery. Of course Pakistani side of his film was more cartoonish and did not do justice to that part of the country. Pakistanis will have legitimate beef with their portrayal. The snippets from the outsourcing office in Delhi next to his rundown office is simply hilarious (onstar hot-line...). His state department guides at Delhi and his secretary / assistant are all great. If you are going to this movie to get some great insight into Moslem mind you will be sorely disappointed. If you go there to see how an American is like a fish out of the water in any culture other than his own, you will have a jolly good time.

Ugly as ugly as it sound!

[saadrabia · 1/10 · 22 January 2006]

This is a movie that you can call: Racist, Chauvinistic, Bigoted, Xenophobic, Racaially prejudiced, intolerant, narrow-minded, dogmatic.

I mean what the hell did the creators were thinking to prove or show by filming such an awful movie? Oh My God! I mean OH MY GOD.

The movie has more lies in it than a retard kid talking about Bush!

They chose Indea as an Islamic nation, knowing that Indea is not at all an Islamic country, it's just like USA, many religions but not a Muslim country.

I swear by the love of god that if I see those creators and the director I would punch'em hard on the face until they become old enough to make something called "Research" before shooting such a movie.

As ugly as it sounds, the movie just becomes uglier the fact that you will or already have waisted some money for such a sick movie.

Albert Brooks and Maya did play fine

[novy007 · 7/10 · 18 July 2007]

I have seen the movie twice. I think it is really good because it makes you think. Of course it might be dull for people who do not understand humor. And who do not know the world of people who never laugh. Have any of you seen an extremist laugh ? The only time I have seen one is after September 11, 2001 when Osama Bin Laden, with his associate from Egypt, met in Kandahar. Osama did sheer the "family from Egypt" but he laughed at the towers when they fell. He did not expect that.

Now, look at cartoons about the Jews and us in the Muslim world and you will understand that we are living in a time similar to prior second world war two, although I do not want to predict anything.

About your ratings: I think that you underestimate greatly the role of Maya in the movie, acted by Sheetal Sheth. She is fine. She should be second to Albert Brooks.

Yvon Dionne

Unfunny, uninteresting, uncreative, unfinished.

[katmarsen · 2/10 · 7 April 2007]

An unfunny comedian is sent to India to figure out what makes Muslims laugh, and then produce a 500-page report about it. He fails, having only bad ventriloquism in his toolbox, and comes up with a 6-page report.

You'll be looking for the comedy certainly, and not finding it. So then you'll be looking for some sort of subtle satire, but you'll barely find that. So then you'll start thinking maybe it'll at least be educational, but, sadly, no, the producer of this movie is as whiny, uninspired, and ignorant as his main character.

So finally, you'll be looking for a plot. And you'll be disappointed again... several possible tangents are passed by and then the movie ends. I don't think I'll even remember writing this review.

It could've been way better.

[farazkhanyousafzai · 6/10 · 10 February 2013]

I'm a Pakistani and I know quite well what the people here laugh at. When I came to know about this film, I got interested in it. It was funny at times but it could've been way better. The fun part was also added by the Indo-Pak enmity, but still, there was too much that was missed which could've made it amazing. But a very original idea and good attempt for someone who doesn't know much about this region. This could've been quite popular here if proper research could've been done to actually know what people laugh at in the Muslim world, as it's really easy knowing about all this; it's very clear. But again, good attempt at an original idea.

totally wrong

[ahsan-8 · 3/10 · 12 October 2007]

How come you show a non Muslim country in the movie named "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" Its completely wrong, I have watched this movie I did not find any fun part related to Muslims, It would have been much better if they shot this movie in Pakistan or Indonesia if they were in search of true Muslim world comedy. For instance in Pakistan there are comedy stage shows more popular than English and Indian movies...

Its slightly biased view that Muslim world doesn't have comedy or they don't like fun, they do and probably same as any other religion. The only problem is that their comedy is hijacked by few fanatical extremists and media around the world prefer to show what we want to see,, terrorism, killing, nukes, wars.. all related to Muslim unfortunately in current era.

however I like the acting and direction

Religion, politics and, of course, humor

[Sayeed1969 · 10/10 · 23 January 2006]

Let me begin by saying that this posting will actually be about the movie "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World." It will NOT be an off-topic ranting about religion, politics or social consciousness. If such topics interest you, you'll find a ridiculous number of postings to this site that express personal opinions and fears, but which have very little to do with this movie.

Kudos to both Mr. Brooks and to Warner Independent for not shying away from what Sony believes is a controversial title. The title itself is part of the joke and helps to set up the movie as a comedy with a hopeless goal - one that the viewer and Mr. Brooks quickly recognize as futile, but which makes the pursuit that much more amusing to watch.

The film humorously explores the ignorance, naiveté and general stereotypes that many westerners have of the middle eastern world and of Muslims, and it does so in such an apologetic and deprecating manner that viewers can't help but laugh at themselves and the often ridiculous beliefs we have about other cultures. Let's face it, as Americans, we're sadly ignorant of most eastern cultures and if given a choice between feeling bad about it or mocking it, I'll take the latter.

Simply put, Brooks has put together a wonderfully funny satire that's some of his best work to date. Jokes about Halloween "Ghandi", explosives training, stoning rituals, Jews and corporate outsourcing all delivered in pure Brooksian style contribute to a very smart and clever film that Brooks aficionados will appreciate very much.

another typically overlooked, idiosyncratic original from our greatest comic director

[OldAle1 · 7/10 · 26 November 2008]

This is in many ways a thematic "sequel" of sorts to Brooks' first feature, 1978's "Real Life" -- Brooks essentially plays a version of himself, using his own name, and is making a documentary/essay type film -- so it's best to get comparisons out of the way quickly. It's not as good. But since Real Life is to my mind one of the funniest films ever made and along with Brooks' next three films, a masterpiece, this isn't exactly damning.

I hate using the phrase "acquired taste", but if those words do have any meaning then surely Albert Brooks' works as writer-director-star all qualify for the adjective; his reviews have always been divided, the box office always mediocre-to-poor, his fans though as fiercely loyal as any. I count myself as one and am happy to report that after the disaster that was "The Muse", Brooks is back on firmer, funnier, and generally more interesting ground. The satirical premise here is that the US State Department, in trying to find new ways to open dialogs with those angry Allah-worshiping folks, have commissioned a study on what makes people laugh in the Muslim world. Right away Brooks is in his element as the simultaneously arrogant and egotistical, yet self-deprecating and depressed paranoid entertainer -- he learns very quickly that he's hardly the country's first choice for this mission, something that gets repeated often throughout the film. It's all the more humorous and (coincidentally) fitting that the head of the project is played by none other than 3rd-tier recent presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and that Brooks is first sent to predominantly Hindu India (I guess we'd like to know what makes the Hindus laugh too, they're important and they might hate us some day).

If you know Brooks, you'll know that much of the humor from here on out will be subtle, low-key, and most of it at the star's expense, but the larger issues of American and Hollywood arrogance in the face of a different culture are never more than a moment's thought away. The bulk of the film has Brooks and his comely multilingual Indian assistant interviewing people on the street (the vast majority of whom speak excellent English, but strangely don't know Brooks' work at all, apart from Finding Nemo, staging a pretty unsuccessful standup show, and illicitly visiting underground Pakistani comics. Some of the best scenes involve Brooks' assistant's boyfriend, a jealous and insecure lover with both a suspicion of and fascination with western culture that is mirrored in Brooks' complex fears of him – as a potential terrorist (for no reason at all) and just as a boyfriend with a potentially dangerous misunderstanding.

This all gets a little stale and wraps up rather unconvincingly, alas, but Brooks fans shouldn't fear, the man still has it – he may need some new ideas or insights to bring him back to the level of Modern Romance or Defending Your Life, but at least he's got me laughing again.

Funny if you enjoy negativity (possible spoiler?)

[morgan-d-welt · 1/10 · 1 March 2007]

The "subtle humor" of sending an unprepared and tin-eared "comedian" to study the humor of another society is negative (designed to flatter the audience - oh, we are SO much more perceptive than THAT), the really stupid jokes were an embarrassing waste of time (why spend time watching this?), but what really annoyed was the "hilarious" situation it created in the governments peripherally involved.

You know, it's funny if we poke fun at our own government's paranoid reactions to possible threats (our surveillance of those scary vegetarian protesters last year springs immediately to mind: http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75151), but when we deride other governments for *their* paranoia, we are very close to actually becoming the parody Americans Mr. Brooks was trying to present ("See? Those idiots can't believe he's just a really bad comic!"). The other problem is with willing suspension of disbelief - it's hard to imagine any comedian with that much of a tin ear becoming famous. For comedy, anyway.