Director: Josh Appignanesi

Screenwriter: David Baddiel

Cast: Omid Djalili, Richard Schiff, Igal Naor, Archie Panjabi

David Baddiel wrote The Infidel, his first feature film script, especially for fellow funny man Omid Djalili, who stars as the movie’s main character Mahmud Nasir.  It is a comedy about Muslims and Jews, and, as you might suspect, covers a few tricky, issues and stereotypes along the way.

Although he may not be the most devout Muslim, Mahmud is shaken to the core when, after his mother’s death, he discovers his birth certificate which reveals that he was not only adopted but also that he is Jewish and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz.

Being somewhat anti-Semitic, this revelation turns the lead character’s life upside down. Compounding his concerns is the fact that his son Rashid (Amit Shah) is about to get married and his fiancee’s new stepfather is the fanatical cleric Arshad-El-Masri (Igal Naor), who will only allow her to marry into a devout Muslim family.

Mahmud ends up blurting his secret to his mother’s Jewish neighbour Lenny (Richard Schiff), who remembers that a man called Izzy Shimshillewitz lived in the street years ago. Mahmud tracks Izzy, who is quite possibly his father, to a care home but an over-zealous Rabbi, a cameo role played by Little Britain star Matt Lucas, stops Mahmud from entering his room as is not deemed to be ‘Jewish enough’.

In a bid to boost his Jewish credentials Lenny teaches Mahmud the ‘basics’, which involves teaching him to bust a few ‘Jewish’ dance moves, a few Yiddish phrases and adopt a few Jewish facial expressions / gestures such as the shrug. He also takes Mahmud to a Bar Mitzvah to try and blend in.

Eventually his family and his son’s fanatical prospective father-in-law discover his secret and Mahmud is faced with angry reactions all round, from his nearest and dearest, colleagues and the people he has duped. To top it all, Izzy dies without Mahmud ever getting to speak to him.

Eventually everything turns out ok. Mahmud challenges stereotypes and breaks down barriers to ensure his son can get marries, mind you it does help that he discovers that the fanatical cleric was formerly druggie electro pop star Gary Page.

There are lots of comic moments in The Infidel, but it’s not as laugh out loud funny as one might expect. Some of that is due to the subject matter of course, some of the stereotypes are slightly lazy and the jokes do wear a little thin and the movie felt a little long as there are only so many Jewish and Muslim stereotypes and jokes.

However, the film raises some really interesting issues, Baddiel is obviously an extremely talented writer and the performances are excellent. Omid Djalili is funny and touching, a real revelation, and Richard Schiff, best known for his role as Toby in The West Wing, is equally watchable. There are also a string of cameo appearances from the likes of Matt Lucas, Miranda Hart and Paul Kaye, which are every bit as entertaining.

The Infidel may not be a classic but it is an enjoyable romp and I bodes well for future projects from Baddiel, who deserves to be welcomed with open arms by the British film industry.

By Louise Meeson.

The Infidel opens nationwide on 9 April 2010.