This supposed comedy’s story sounds intriguing: A very moderate English Muslim has a son who wants to marry a girl with an extremist Muslim stepfather – and then he finds out he was adopted as a baby and is actually Jewish. For some reason, it got praising reviews all round, while this is one of the most disappointing and mediocre British productions I’ve seen in ages.
The plot sticks to the typical Hollywood curve (all the foreseeable obstacles and the obvious happy ending) so strictly that it becomes utterly predictable – which consequently makes it humourless too. The writing is too simplified and over-explanatory to be even mildly funny and the acting is generally mediocre. Because of the lack of laughs and the bad lines, all the drama becomes highly melodramatic (i.e. making you think: FFS, what’s all the bloody fuss about?). On top of all this, the Muslim and Jewish clichés are exaggerated in way that it makes me as a non-religious viewer feel stupid. Imagine what that makes someone of either faith feel like.
Yes, I’m ranting, I know. The only reason for this exception on my blog is that I believe it should’ve never received the credit it did. To say one nice thing about it: I liked the dancy bit at the end (albeit another big fat cliché). Oh, and it could be good for educational purposes, enhancing understanding amongst cultures and all that. Still doesn’t make it a good film, mind.
The Bella Review 