Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005)

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writer (WGA):

Albert Brooks (written by)

Release Date:

9 November 2006 (Hungary)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

To improve its relations with Muslim countries, the United States government sends comedian Albert Brooks to south Asia to write a report on what makes followers of Islam laugh.

Plot Keywords:

Satire | Islam | India | Stand Up Comedy | Stand Up Comedian

Cast

Albert Brooks	...	Albert Brooks
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	Sen. Fred Dalton Thompson
Penny Marshall	...	Penny Marshall
Victoria Burrows	...	Casting Director
Paul Eric Jerome	...	Studio Executive
B.J. Ward	...	Barbara Nader
Lynda Berg	...	Margaret Allenton
Steve Kramer	...	Sam Loman
Vipin Kumar	...	Customs Agent
Avinash Kaur	...	Job Applicant
Rima Laham	...	Job Applicant
Sanjeev Johrai	...	Hotel Guest
Imran Mashkoor Kahn	...	Concierge
Kavita Ashok	...	Waitress
Sandhya Bhatia	...	Street Interview
Mitlesh Prasad	...	Street Interview
Manoj Buxi	...	Street Interview
Surinder Arora	...	Man in Temple
Gabbar Singh	...	Guide at Mosque
Duncan Bravo	...	Stage Manager
Sankalp Rastogi	...	Audience Member
Dhiru Shah	...	Indian Official
Ajay Mehta	...	Indian Official
Rahda Zaidi	...	Indian Official
Anand Vadehra	...	Pakistani Comedian
Lalit Jobanputra	...	Pakistani Comedian (as Lalit P. Jobanputra)
Gugun Deep Singh	...	Pakistani Comedian (as Gagan Deep Singh)
Marco Khan	...	Pakistani Comedian
Ben Anand	...	Pakistani Official
Raghu Bhagat	...	Pakistani Official
Subash Kundanmal	...	Pakistani Diplomat
Ahmed Ahmed	...	Escort
Sammy Sheik	...	Mukhtar Al Mujib (as Sameh Sheik)
Linden Soles	...	News Anchor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Akrawi	...	Pakistani Man
Rauf Alaskarov	...	Man in bar
Barbara Ali	...	Indian woman in auditorium
Conrad Bachmann	...	Senator
Ismail Bashey	...	Various (voice)
Homie Doroodian	...	Majeed
Yasmine Hanani	...	Al Jazeera Receptionist (as Yasmine Hannaney)
Avi Kaur	...	Job applicant, look at moviefone.
Emma Lockhart	...	Laura
John Carroll Lynch	...	Stewart
Sanjay Madhav
Marshall Manesh	...	Shaif Al Rafi
P.D. Mani	...	Rasheed
Tony Montero	...	Don Budge
Kevin Mukherji	...	Spotlight Man
Angel Princess	...	Nightclub Dancer
Sunny Raina	...	Feminine Guy
Kavi Raz	...	Passenger Habib
Amy Ryan	...	Emily Brooks
Shaheen Sheik	...	Anisha Kishore
Sheetal Sheth	...	Maya
Anup Sugunan	...	Pakistani Driver
Ali Supriwala	...	Indian man in audutorium
Jon Tenney	...	Mark
Juliet Touzene	...	Indian woman
Rajeev Chhibber	...	Indian man in auditorium (uncredited)
Reena Dutt	...	Girl in Bar (in Delhi) (uncredited)
Rima Mahal	...	Indian woman in audutorium (uncredited)
Shelley Malil	...	(uncredited)
Anjul Nigam	...	Boyfriend (uncredited)
Neil Patil	...	Indian cab driver (uncredited)
A.J. Presley	...	Indian Boyfriend (uncredited)
Rita Rani	...	(uncredited)
Mark Winn	...	Punjabi Audience Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Brooks

Writing credits (WGA)
Albert Brooks		(written by)

Produced by
Stephanie Antosca	....	producer: Washington DC
Steve Bing	....	producer
Herb Nanas	....	producer
Tabrez Noorani	....	Producer: India
JoAnn Perritano	....	executive producer
Pravesh Sahni	....	line producer: India

Original Music by
Michael Giacchino

Cinematography by
Thomas E. Ackerman

Film Editing by
Anita Brandt-Burgoyne

Casting by
Scot Boland
Victoria Burrows
Judy Cook
Toufig Tulsiram

Production Design by
Stephen Altman

Art Direction by
John Bucklin
Erik Olson

Set Decoration by
Chris L. Spellman		(as Chris Spellman)

Costume Design by
Deborah Everton

Makeup Department
Linda Arnold	....	hair stylist
Jay Wejebe	....	makeup artist
Annet Wong	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Brad Arensman	....	post-production supervisor
Susan Dretzka	....	production supervisor
JoAnn Perritano	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steven F. Beaupre	....	second second assistant director
Tabrez Noorani	....	second unit director: India
Pranati Oza	....	third assistant director
Sameer Sadhwani	....	second assistant director
Manish Shrivastava	....	assistant director
Sunday Stevens	....	second assistant director
Eric Tignini	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Alan Easley	....	set dressing gang boss
William Eliscu	....	graphic designer
Kristen Gassner	....	set decorating buyer
Sean Ginevan	....	leadman
David Hopkins	....	on-set dresser
David Loitz	....	set dresser
Cameron Matheson	....	set dresser
Don Miloyevich	....	property master
James Passanante	....	paint supervisor
Wayne Springfield	....	construction coordinator
Shannon Tymkiw	....	art department assistant
Kat Wilson	....	art department coordinator

Sound Department
Jeremy Balko	....	foley mixer
Matthew C. Beville	....	adr mixer
Devendra Damon Cleary	....	utility sound technician
Chad J. Hughes	....	sound effects editor
Jonathan Miller	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Morgado	....	sound editor
Kim H. Ornitz	....	sound mixer
Shelley Roden	....	foley artist
Mychal Smith	....	boom operator
David F. Van Slyke	....	sound effects editor
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Jamison Scott Goei	....	visual effects supervisor
Sookie Park	....	digital artist
Monty Phillips	....	visual effects coordinator: Digital Dream
Corinne Pooler	....	visual effects producer: Digital Dream
Jerry Pooler	....	visual effects supervisor: Digital Dream

Stunts
Jon Valera	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Russell Ayer	....	best boy rigger
Craig Bauer	....	film loader: Los Angeles
Kevin Britton	....	film loader: Los Angeles
Alan Colbert	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Siddharth Diwan	....	grip
Harry K. Garvin	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Harry K. Garvin	....	steadicam operator
Raymond Gonzales	....	rigging gaffer
Steven Hiller	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Michael J. Hogan	....	video assist operator
Andrew B. Horton	....	lighting technician
Matt Kennedy	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Greg Mitchell	....	24 frame video operator
Rob Monroy	....	assistant camera
Charlie Newberry	....	additional second assistant camera
Mark Pickens	....	dolly grip
Raman Rao	....	gaffer
Dylan Rush	....	electrician
Lacey Terrell	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Tineka Becker	....	casting assistant
David Kang	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fran Allgood	....	key costumer
Leah Brown	....	costumer
Nazhat Hester	....	costumer
Rachel Sage	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Helen Hand	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Aarvold	....	music scoring mixer
Michael T. Andreas	....	music editor
Stephen M. Davis	....	supervising music editor
Peter Fuchs	....	music recording engineer

Transportation Department
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Marja Adriance	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Sarah E. Baker	....	production assistant
Jerry Carville	....	second assistant production accountant
Richard Castro	....	first assistant production accountant
Richard Cody	....	key craft services
Clark Credle	....	set production assistant
Mary K. Fanto	....	product placement manager
Stacy Foot	....	assistant production coordinator
Scott Foster	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Chris Furia	....	production accountant
Lisa Furia	....	second assistant production accountant
Matthew Hirsch	....	production coordinator
Jason Inman	....	set medic
Catherine Kagan	....	key assistant location manager
Jason Z. Kemp	....	set production assistant
Sidhu Manpreet	....	key location assistant: India
Joseph Martin	....	location manager: Washington D.C.
Claire Raskind	....	unit publicist (as Claire Raskind Cooper)
Jamie Robinson	....	production assistant
Samarth Sahni	....	key location assistant
Jay Traynor	....	key location manager
Drew Vandervelde	....	production coordinator
Zane Weiner	....	production executive
Devon F. Wright	....	production assistant

Thanks
Melanie Miller	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Seventh Picture Productions LLC
• Kintop Pictures
• Shangri-La Entertainment
• thinkfilm (Washington DC scenes)

Distributors

• Seventh Picture Productions LLC
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2006) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Rez-Illusion

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes, dollies and remote camera systems
• Runway  post-production
• Sonic Magic  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Untitled Albert Brooks Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content and brief strong language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:(Banned) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41936) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Seventh Picture Productions LLC

Trivia:

Sony Pictures Classics was originally going to distribute the film in the USA but chose not to, citing controversy over the film's title, which they wanted to change. Warner Independent Pictures then picked up the film for US distribution.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Indian flag shown in the Indian government office is upside down. The correct order of the flag is saffron at the top and green at the bottom.

Quotes:

Albert Brooks: Hey, if you guys ever make a dirty bomb, put some of that hash in it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2006-01-21)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

There's No Business Like Show Business

Missed the Mark

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.