Our media is generally so biased in the way it delivers our news and current affairs that it is no surprise that we think of terrorisim, mud housing and war-torn cities when we think of Afghanistan. What we don’t see is the culture, the beauty, the hospitality, nor the television programs that include shows like Afghan Star, their talent competition that’s akin to our own Australian Idol.
Rock the Kasbah does let us see some of this other side of Afghanistan, but still plays far too much on negative stereotypes. It’s a shame because this otherwise enjoyable comedy-drama is marred by its active dismissal of culture and people.
Bill Murray is Richie Lanz, a has-been music agent in the USA who grabs at a chance for one of his second-rate acts to tour Afghanistan to entertain American troops. On arrival however, Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel) is terrified of the cultural differences and takes off, leaving Richie stranded without a passport.
By chance, Richie overhears Salima (Leem Lubany) singing to herself in a cave and decides to launch her career by getting her on Afghan Star which, to date, has only ever had male performers. To do so, however, he has to face death threats to both himself and Salima, and fight cultural norms.
Richie is a very disrespectful con-artist, and his wily ways fit well with the setup. Bill Murray is a consummate performer, who can blend comedy and drama with ease. While delivering an unlikeable character who often oversteps the mark, he’s still fun to watch and injects most of the humour into this flick.
The over-long prologue takes up the first half of the film – an unnecessary length by far. Richie’s character is established well before the journey to Afghanistan, which is where the thrust of the film begins. With a screenplay by Mitch Glazer, there’s a lot of great one-liners and a generally interesting storyline but far too much wasted time and opportunities. Director Barry Levinson does what he can with it, but ultimately relies on his cast to deliver the decent performances that they do – including Bruce Willis, Scott Caan, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Fahim Fazli, Sameer Ali Khan and Australian actor Beejan Land.
For those with no knowledge or interest in the reality of our middle eastern neighbours, this is an enjoyable comedy of an American in an odd situation, fighting to impose his righteous beliefs on another culture for their own good. God bless America! For anyone with a bit of nous or cultural sensitivity however, you may require a chill pill to appreciate the fine performances over the cultural insensitivities of Rock the Kasbah.
This Shareef don’t like it [much], Rock the Kasbah, Rock the Kasbah.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 6
Rock the Kasbah is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
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