By Dan Dunn
Special to the Daily Press

The movie: Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World
The director: Albert Brooks
The stars: Albert Brooks, John Carroll Lynch, Sheetal Sheth, Jon Tenney

In this offbeat and clever mock documentary, writer/director/star Albert Brooks shows that an American bombing in the Muslim world can be pretty funny. Playing a slightly fictionalized version of himself, bomb (on stage, during a stand-up routine) is precisely what the comedian does after being dispatched to India and Pakistan as part of an unorthodox effort by the U.S. government to win the hearts and minds of the 300 million Muslims in the region.

Following a humiliating audition with director Penny Marshall at the film’s outset, Brooks is summoned to Washington by politician/actor Fred Dalton Thompson, who is heading up a committee charged with discovering what makes Muslims laugh. Thompson is deadpan delightful as he informs Brooks that “the president has a great sense of humor” before enlisting the “Finding Nemo” star to go find the funny and issue a 500-page report for the bureaucrats. Though skeptical about his prospects for success, Brooks accepts the mission on the promise that his efforts will net him the prestigious Medal of Freedom, which he hopes will result in a much-needed career boost. In bustling New Delhi, where the bulk of the picture was shot, Brooks is paired with two bungling American agents (John Carroll Lynch and Jon Tenney) and a wide-eyed local assistant named Maya (the lovely Sheetal Sheth).

On the laugh front, Brooks’ misadventures are hit and miss. Highlights include his disastrous comedy concert in New Delhi, a hilarious sequence in which he’s smuggled into the Pakistani wilderness to commiserate with a band of rebel comedians, followed by a satiric poke at the television industry during which he’s offered the lead role in an Al Jazeera-produced sitcom called “That Darn Jew.” Warner Independent picked up “Muslim World” after the original distributor, Sony Pictures, dropped the project due to the director’s refusal to alter the film’s potentially incendiary title. Truth is, to its detriment, Brooks picture could hardly be less controversial. Had he pushed a few more buttons, this good movie might have been a great one.

(Rated PG-13. Running time: 98 minutes)