Ishtar (1987)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Elaine May

Writer:

Elaine May (written by)

Release Date:

15 May 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure | Musical

Plot:

Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the CIA...

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Ishtar | Hotel | Emir | Amateur Musician

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	Lyle Rogers
Dustin Hoffman	...	Chuck Clarke
Isabelle Adjani	...	Shirra Assel
Charles Grodin	...	Jim Harrison
Jack Weston	...	Marty Freed
Tess Harper	...	Willa
Carol Kane	...	Carol
Aharon Ipalé	...	Emir Yousef
Fijad Hageb	...	Abdul (as Fuad Hageb)
David Margulies	...	Mr. Clarke
Rose Arrick	...	Mrs.Clarke
Julie Garfield	...	Dorothy
Cristine Rose	...	Siri Darma (as Christine Rose)
Robert V. Girolami	...	Bartender (as Bob Girolami)
Abe Kroll	...	Mr. Thomopoulos

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 (uncut DVD version) (2004) | UK:PG (theatrical release, cut) (1987) | Sweden:11 | Australia:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Astoria Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Although the film had an overwhelmingly negative reception when released, it underwent three successful screenings with preview audiences. Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman and 'Charles Grodin' have all defended the film's quality in subsequent years, blaming it's bad reputation on reports of production and budgetary problems which had been leaked to the press by studio head David Puttnam who disliked Beatty and was on poor terms with Hoffman as well.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marty Freed is sitting with Chuck and Lyle, after he first hears their act, he puts his hand up to his mouth ("Let me tell you what I told Tony Bennett..."). In the next shot, the hand is on the table.

Quotes:

Lyle Rogers: You didn't have to leave with me, now I've spoiled the night for you.
Chuck Clarke: You gotta give yourself a break! You've never been out with anyone but your wife.
Lyle Rogers: Yeah, but you gotta have the looks, Chuck. I mean, you walk into a place like that and girls just want ya, ya know, ya got that kinda face. Kinda mean lookin' but with character. And the way you walk, you can only do that with a small body! Didya ever hear of a big sports car? I mean, if I'd look like you...
Chuck Clarke: Oh, you so idealize me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Naked Movie (2002)

Soundtrack:

YOU TOOK MY LOVE

Call me crazy, but...

"Ishtar was great," I think defiantly every time by some off chance someone I come in contact with who has actually seen it cites it was the worst movie ever. I suppose it's part of cinematic pop culture to hold that opinion as a safeguard against being called a fool.

The most charming quality of Ishtar is its consistently dry, tongue-and-cheek disposition. It offers brilliant insight to the types of people in the world that, despite the fact that to everyone else their talent is cheesy at best, continue to try and try. Rogers and Clarke are the "Every Men" for that entire segment of the population with their songwriting musical act.

Their third-rate, leisure-suit-wearing manager does his job by getting them a few gigs; the biggest gig of all is in Ishtar, a politically unstable Middle Eastern country. Which, of course, is unbeknownst to Rogers and Clarke, who are just reveling in their love of playing music. Their naivete (and sometimes outright stupidity) is a character unto itself, and plays brilliantly throughout the ridiculous adventure that they experience.

I've seen Hoffman and Beatty in interviews joking about how they knew the movie was so bad that, instead of quitting, they simply got into the spirit by over-acting at parts. But, whether they know it or not, they were very REAL people, and THAT was the best part of all.