Directed By Josh Appignanesi
Starring Omid Djalili, Richard Schiff and Archie Panjabi
Mahmud (Omid Djalili) is a laid-back Muslim whose knowledge of the Qur’an is hazy, who’d rather spend time with his kids than at a mosque and isn’t likely to let fasting interfere with his love of chips. When his son wants to marry a beautiful young girl whose stepfather is a radical Muslim cleric, Mahmud is forced to become the most devoted Muslim he can be to gain her family’s blessing and ensure his son’s happiness. A massive ideological spanner gets thrown into the works when Mahmud’s mother dies, leaving behind the knowledge that he’s not exactly Muslim; he was adopted as a baby – from a Jewish family.
It’s a premise that sounds a lot like an extended ‘A Muslim and a Jew walk into a telepod’ joke, and perhaps aptly so, as much of The Infidel is predicated on a steady barrage of racial stereotype gags that aren’t too far from a “Muslims, they drive a car like this, while Jews, they drive a car like this” comic routine. But while the bulk of Josh Appignanesi’s film often feels like leftover material from writer David Baddiel’s stand-up work, at least it’s damn funny material. The gags fly thick and fast and often land with witty aplomb, made all the more effective by the talents of its cast.
As a vehicle for Omid Djalili, The Infidel makes fantastic use of the comedian, who has been wasted in bit parts and those wretched MoneySupermarket adverts for far too long. He plays the endearing everyman to perfection, while he’s equally at home exerting impressive slapstick physicality or a stream of creatively-delivered foul language. The film truly comes alive, though, when Djalili is paired up with the amazing Richard Schiff (The West Wing) as crabby, sarcastic Jewish-American cab driver Lenny, who takes Mahmud under his wing to give him a Cliff Notes crash course on the art of being Jewish. The two make a hilarious double act with a wonderful rapport and while their broader antics are incredibly fun (like Lenny teaching Mahmud how to dance like a Jew), it’s the smaller gags and the well-written dialogue that has the most comedic impact thanks to the duo’s perfect chemistry and delivery.
The Infidel doesn’t stray too far outside of its safe zone, and despite handling some thorny subject matter, Appignanesi and Baddiel don’t give their film any real bite or insight. But while they don’t go for the jugular in their pursuit of laughs, what they lack in subversiveness, they more than make up for with heart and sheer fun. The Infidel is a harmless, mainstream comedy farce that doesn’t offer anything especially new, but it’s sweet, funny and blessed with a talented, hilarious cast well worth spending your time with.
On the DVD:
Revolver’s DVD release, like the film itself, is small in scale but thoroughly entertaining. In place of the usual boring fluffy ‘Making Of’ featurettes, instead there’s a great 20 minute video diary from David Baddiel during filming, covering interviews, on-set antics (including Baddiel’s mother stealing props from the set and chatting up Richard Schiff) and anecdotes. Being a video diary from the writer – also a friend of the cast and crew – there’s a much more candid atmosphere than the average bland EPK snippets and it’s infinitely more fun, especially for fans of the comedian.
When I spotted there was a feature entitled ‘The Infidel UK Premiere’, I was expecting the usual unexciting red carpet interview snippets, but thankfully the featurette is actually an 8 minute bit of stand-up from Baddiel and Djalili that served as their intro to the film at its first screening. It’s not terribly long, but it’s a very fun addition. Also included is a third featurette entitled ‘Which Religion is the Funniest?’ – another 8 minute stand-up segment from the premiere screening from the amateur comedians who won a religious comedy contest run for the film. Again, it’s not lengthy, but it’s funny, entertaining and a completely welcome change from the usual generic interviews that populate a DVD release. Finally, there’s the film’s theatrical trailer.
Rating:
The Infidel is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray on 9th August 2010.
Click here to order the DVD from Amazon.co.uk.