By Govindini Murty. One of the reasons we champion independent film here at Libertas is because of the crucial role it plays in incubating talent. One of the first indie films we talked about when we launched Libertas Film Magazine was The Infidel, a quirky little British comedy that screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in the spring of 2010. The Infidel tells the hilarious story of a middle-aged Muslim man, Mahmud, who finds out that he was actually born Jewish – at the very same time that he also discovers that his son is about to marry into the family of a radical Islamic cleric.
One of the reasons we liked the film so much was because of the lead performance of Omid Djalili, the Iranian-British comic who plays the hapless Mahmud. You can read Jason’s review of The Infidel here, and you can see a number of Djalili’s hilariously un-PC comedy skits on YouTube. One of my favorite Djalili skits is “Arabs at the airport” (Djalili describes getting freaked out when he sees Arabs at the airport), and I also like his satires of immigrant Iranian life – they remind me of the earthy and very funny ethnic humor of Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Check out Djalili’s “Iranian in UK,” a satire of Sting’s “Englishman in New York.”
Now Deadline Hollywood reports that NBC is developing a TV series to be based on The Infidel. The series would star Djalili, who would also produce the show with his wife. This seems like a timely idea to me. A comic of Iranian descent succeeding in mainstream American TV while satirizing radical Islamist mores would send a great message to the rest of the world – one that advocates for moderation over extremism in the Muslim community. It would also be a rebuke to the repressive Iranian regime, which, as we’ve documented numerous times here, jails and abuses it own leading filmmakers and film artists in one of the most anti-art dictatorships on earth.
Finally, a TV series based on The Infidel is a good idea because it would also just be funny. I don’t find a lot of today’s comics very amusing, but Djalili is one of the few who seems to have a natural ability to make people laugh based on character and timing – not just gross-out jokes. This is a great thing, whether or not it leads to world peace and understanding. I hope the NBC series stays true to the courageous, un-PC spirit of the original film. I find the Brits are a lot braver in their satire than Americans, and I truly hope that NBC doesn’t water down the comedy of the original Infidel or reverse its message. Check out the trailer for The Infidel above and I think you’ll see why we welcome this becoming a TV series.
Posted on October 26th, 2011 at 7:51pm.
I found The Infidel disappointing. It just wasn’t very funny, and dragged quite a bit. They’d have to do much better or the show will flop.
Also, I might be sensitive to this b/c I’m Jewish, but I thought the Jewish caricatures, with which the movie was replete, were kind of crude (in the sense of obvious and not very clever).
Kishke – maybe some of the British humor didn’t translate. I still think Djalili is pretty funny, but I understand where you’re coming from. The Jewish-centered humor could have been more nuanced and clever, but I thought the satire of radical Islamic clerics was pretty brave and spot-on.
BTW – Did you see “Four Lions”? We saw it at the LA Film Festival last year, and everybody found it hilarious. I really recommend you see it.
Hi Govindini. Thanks for your response.
I usually like British humor – I just didn’t find the movie especially funny.
I’ve been planning to see Four Lions. Is it out yet on DVD?
BTW, for a very funny British film I would recommend “In The Loop.” Its politics are out in left field, but if you can overlook that, the movie itself is terrific.
Kishke – yes, “Four Lions” is out on DVD. It’s got a faster pace than “The Infidel” and the jokes keep flying. I hope you enjoy it – let me know.