Amusing in places but it lacks something

a charming comedy that tackles tolerance, acceptance, and identity, but takes it all so lightly that any attempt at a message is lost. that's not exactly a bad thing, it just means this movie has no deeper point. while it not be an existential masterpiece, it does a damned fine job at what it is--britcom.

The trailer really turned me on to this and I came into it expecting a bit more than I got out of it. I knew it would be formulaic, but I also thought it would be funnier, smarter, more biting as a satire, more ironic. I was increasingly disenchanted and the ending was really underwhelming. The movie doesn't seem to realize the potential of its own premise, especially the final showdown which just misses the point of the Jew/Muslim dialectic and squanders the chance for a meaningful resolution.

It's a good idea, but the script is a lot weaker than it thinks it is, and there are several parts that just don't ring true. That said, Djalili puts in a nicely balanced performance, and the movie ticks along without being too onerous for ninety minutes or so. It's remarkably even-handed for such a potentially racially-sensitive film, but perhaps not as meaningful as it might be.