The Infidel tries to make peace
Thoughtful comedy well but much too soft and harmless, “The Infidel” seeks to create a bridge between two sworn enemies. While the approach is noble, the result is unsatisfactory.
Mahmud (Omid Djalili) is not the end of his troubles. Although not the best practitioners, it is proud to be Muslim. He world collapses when he discovers he is actually Jewish! How will he accept to do his family and those around him?
At a time when it is not possible to say anything or write on religious subjects landed “The Infidel”, a film scripted by David Baddiel and directed by Josh Appignanesi. Finally, an oasis that allows saving of laughter through other cultures, in addition to those of two rival clans.
But it is asking too much of this effort amazingly nice and kind who will never fully explore his premise. He prefers to stay on the outskirts, bringing all the cliches imaginable on the Jews. Jokes money and big nose will follow one another in an almost universal indifference curve as dramatic is tenuous. In wanting to pussyfoot, the antihero must make choices, which will force him to leave his sanctimonious rhetoric about tolerance, forgiveness and release what is too radical.
Flatly staged despite its enlivening musical numbers, all suffering from uncertain pace. The scenes stretch more often than not and many sessions of improvisation does not cause the desired effect. Quite the contrary, a certain fatigue appears within these sequences that seem interchangeable running out of fuel to reach port.
The colorful and endearing characters are happily part of the viewer out of his slump. The comedian Omid Djalili is much like Homer Simpson when with Richard Schiff him ascend the rudiments of the Jewish world, chemistry is quickly felt. Damage is avoided by some as unnecessary intrigues that are only there to delay the execution, predictable and rather depressed.
“The Infidel” is therefore the longest river worn by extremely quiet easy and repetitive gags. He expected more of a promising plot where he would have been easy to spend religion and politics beat. In a genre much more dramatic, it is better to catch “The Believer” by Henry Bean on the hassle of a Jewish skinhead.
