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Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
User Score
5.8 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 3 out of 8

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  1. J.B.
    Jan 30, 2006
    1
    Painful pacing and bad stand up made this unbearable to watch. The wife, child, assistant, and the two state dept employees are all over-simplified one dimensional characters. Brooks' clumsy attempts at 'research' are frustratingly inept, which made me mad for such a good premise to be wasted.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. PaulC.
    Jan 26, 2006
    0
    As one of the industry reviews above clearly states..India isn't a Muslim country It's a secular state, though predominantly Hindu and Sikh Despite the secular nature, there's one religion that definately DOES NOT describe India - and that's Muslim ! Partition was a painful and deadly process process - one that this "comedian" seems blisfully unaware of. Are American's that un-worldly as to just put all other religions in the "other" pile ? As for this (lets face it MASSIVE) error the film itself : Well it's just not funny, I watched it for the first time not realising that it was supposed to be (having never heard of Mr Brookes before) As a review said 2 funny bits (just about funny enough to curl your mouth at the edges) I re-watched the film (on FF) and can agree ..it's 2 and only 2 very mildly funny bits in the whole fiasco of what boils down to one mans ego boost at the expense of everything else. This isn't satire - it's self indulgence on a grand and entirely unfoundable scale. If I could give this film a minus score I would.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. DavidH.
    Aug 28, 2006
    8
    I think these critics don't get it. This is not a documentary. That's not his real wife and kid. This is not Albert Brooks, it's "Albert Brooks" in the same way that Woody Allen's character in his movies is not Woody Allen. Brooks spends the film mocking his own self-absoprtion and his question doesn't seem to be so much what makes these people laugh as do I make these people laugh. He has many opportunities to discover the truth but he continues, to great comic effect, to simply try to gratify his own wilted ego. Seen from this angle, the movie had me in tears. While this is not prime Albert Brooks, it was better than The Muse and it will do until the next one comes along.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. BruceC.
    Jan 22, 2006
    9
    "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" is Albert Brooks as we haven't seen him since 1985's "Lost in America." This satire, in which Albert Brooks accepts a governmental commission to write a 500-page report on what tickles the Muslim funny bone, misses no opportunity to poke fun at America's cluelessness about other cultures. Like "Lost in America" and "Real Life," its humor comes from Brooks's characters' desperate attempts to salvage some dignity in the face of a grand idea gone terribly wrong. This time his satirical targets include the ironies of his own career: the burden of being better known for voicing a fish in a cgi cartoon than for all of his other work combined. It's a welcome return to form for one of our bravest satirists.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. TomM.
    Jan 23, 2006
    9
    Brooks in vintage form pokes fun at himself and America's ignorance of foreign cultures.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. mark
    Aug 16, 2010
    0
    I think there was something funny in this movie. I definitely remember **** at one point ... what was it?? Sorry ... I can seem to recall the 99.99% which wasn't in the slightest bit funny ... the parts which were almost embarrassing to the point of pain to view ... the parts which made me disgusted with my DVD purchase ... the parts which had me scanning the cover just to double-check that it actually said 'comedy' on there ... yes ... those parts i can recall. But the funny bit. The joke. I seem to have forgotten it. Shall i watch it again so i can find it?? Oh, no, that's right. I hacked the DVD into 1,000 pieces, mixed it with dog-dirt and fed it to the local pigs.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 35
  3. Negative: 3 out of 35
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Phil Hall
    40
    Unfortunately, Brooks errs badly by having his film centered in India. Yes, India - which, as most people know, is not a predominantly Muslim country. Rather than look for comedy in the Muslim world, Brooks uses this film to make fun of contemporary Indian society.
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  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: DavidEdelstein
    50
    Brooks is looking for comedy in all the wrong places. He's no longer his own White Whale. He's something slower, in a shell--his own turtle.
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  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    63
    This Brooks is a comedian who forgets the golden rule of "know your audience." He thinks he'll get his laughs if he keeps doing the same act with better lighting.
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