A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star.
Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), a has-been rock manager takes his last remaining client on a USO tour of Afghanistan. When Richie finds himself in Kabul, abandoned, penniless and without his U.S. passport, he discovers a young Afghan girl named Salima with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan's version of American Idol..
Private Barnes has a right shoulder sleeve insignia (combat patch) on his right shoulder, indicating that he has already completed a combat deployment. It is highly unlikely that he would still be a Private on his second deployment. Additionally, a Private would never be in charge of a security escort detail. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Maureen:
[having just finished singing her audition]
Mr. Lanz? I'm done.
Richie Lanz:
[long pause]
No.
[sighs]
Richie Lanz:
Forgive me. No. You're just beginning.
Maureen:
You liked it?
Richie Lanz:
Liked it? You made me want to swallow poison. And forget pitch, rhythm and tone... and emotional attachment to the lyric or the melody.
Maureen:
I'm sorry. I don't think I...
Richie Lanz:
A grain of sand slips into an oyster... and irritates the bivalve. What happens?
Maureen:
A pearl.
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
Just after the closing credits begin, there is an inset scene running alongside. In it, Bill Murray haggles with a vendor who offers him colored string. The vendor speaks no English, while Murray carries on his side of the negotiation in English only. Murray rejects the string, saying "Do I look like a guy who uses string?", but he wants to buy a stuffed elephant with mirrors on it because early in the movie he promised to buy his daughter that exact item. In the end he also buys the colored string. See more »
Running Through My Mind
Written by Justin Morey (as Justin Angelo Morey), Scott Bolasci and Herb Wiley (as Herbert Joseph Wiley V)
Performed by The Black Hollies
Courtesy of Ernest Jenning Record Co.
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music See more »
This movie will be horrible for people who expect every movie to be like Independence Day, The Martian and Star Wars. This isn't a block buster. It's a simple movie about a simple story with a raw cut feel. There are no fiery explosions. It's an interesting story with characters that are cliché but real cliché.
Bill Murray gave a good performance and it wasn't phoned in. I enjoyed it. It felt to me like a 2nd (and better) attempt at a Lost in Translation type story. My guess is that most people will want to catch this on Netflix or On-Demand, which is fine. There is no particular reason to see this on the big screen, but it is a decent film to watch.
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This movie will be horrible for people who expect every movie to be like Independence Day, The Martian and Star Wars. This isn't a block buster. It's a simple movie about a simple story with a raw cut feel. There are no fiery explosions. It's an interesting story with characters that are cliché but real cliché.
Bill Murray gave a good performance and it wasn't phoned in. I enjoyed it. It felt to me like a 2nd (and better) attempt at a Lost in Translation type story. My guess is that most people will want to catch this on Netflix or On-Demand, which is fine. There is no particular reason to see this on the big screen, but it is a decent film to watch.