The Infidel (2009)

65% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(7,935 ratings)

A devoted Muslim family man experiences a hilarious identity crisis after discovering that he was adopted at birth, and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz. Mahmud Nasir (Omid Djalili) is still grieving the recent death of his mother when he finds his birth certificate, and learns he was born to a… More A devoted Muslim family man experiences a hilarious identity crisis after discovering that he was adopted at birth, and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz. Mahmud Nasir (Omid Djalili) is still grieving the recent death of his mother when he finds his birth certificate, and learns he was born to a Jewish mother. In order to embrace his heritage, Mahmud seeks the advice of drunken cab-driver Lenny (Richard Schiff), whose crash course in Judaism is more quirky than kosher. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Josh Appignanesi
Written By: David Baddiel
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: May 5, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Oct 26, 2010
Studio: Met Film

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Tthis thing plays like a cheeky Brit-com blown up to feature length, with a thin coat rack of plot to hang the ethnic humour on, and a wish to offend without being offensive.
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
An admirably cagey effort to mine humor from the thorny cultural and racial divide that is Muslim-Jewish relations.
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
An amusing little film from Britain.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
A multi-layered film with all sorts of surfaces, from rough to smooth and corrugated, but it's an enjoyable and colourful work which is inoffensive even while it is being irreverent
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
Stand-up comic Omid Djalili is hilarious as Mahmud Nasir, the father and husband who discovers he is neither Muslim enough nor Jewish enough to satisfy anyone that matters, after discovering his hidden roots
Paj Sandhu, Moviedex
The rest of us can take heart in charming little comedies like The Reluctant Infidel that stress our commonalities and make our differences something to laugh about.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
Can't we all just coexist? The Infidel can't bring the laughs, but it's a subtle peek at scapegoating on all sides.
Craig Mathieson, sbs.com.au
This pleasing comedy more than makes do with the idea of conciliation -- it really, really just wants us to get along.
Leigh Paatsch, Herald Sun (Australia)
Soon blands out into the glib, ethnicky slapstick that is the regrettable stock in trade of Nia Vardolos.
Mark Demetrius, FILMINK (Australia)
Often uproariously funny, this cross-cultural comedy brims with sharp dialogue and its ideas are sensitive and intelligent without being heavy-handed.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Omid Djalili, a standup comic, is in almost every scene, and his unflagging energy and commitment to the material is the movie's saving grace.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
For all the terrific throw-away lines, The Infidel plays like a TV show rather than a feature film, and a TV sitcom at that.
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
The truth comes out and the audience is left to wonder what it all means.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Some of the punch lines land better than others, and the script keeps them coming.
Liz Beardsworth, Empire Magazine
Funny and unthreatening, it's not subversive but it's plenty of fun.
Tom Cox, Daily Mail [UK]
The Infidel tackles an ambitious and sensitive subject in an impressively balanced manner, yet without ever managing to feel like it needs to exist.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Directors C

The Infidel in a way is kind of like Four Lions. It's not as good as Four Lions but it's a good satirical film that pokes fun at not only the muslims but also at the people that dislike them. Decently made little film from Britain.
Anthony L

I'm sure a lot of people have been put off this film by the poster, that and the fact the words 'Comedy' and 'British' usually disappoint when it comes to recent mainstream comedy. There is really good British comedy out there, and here is the proof! So forget… More
I'm sure a lot of people have been put off this film by the poster, that and the fact the words 'Comedy' and 'British' usually disappoint when it comes to recent mainstream comedy. There is really good British comedy out there, and here is the proof! So forget Notting Hill, East is East and all that crap, The Infidel is intelligent, daring but most importantly funny. Omid Djalili is as good as always and I must say it's nice to see him in a lead role and not as a stereotype in some Hollywood blockbuster. There are some good cameos here also from some great British comedians. When you can make people laugh using one of the most touchy subjects, you have done well. It was written by David Baddiel though so I'm not surprised, and even if you don't like him as a performer, you have to admire is brilliant writing. Watch this and laugh, then watch Four Lions and laugh some more because if you can't laugh what is the point, we're a funny lot us humans!
Cynthia S

The first 15 minutes are really funny. For those of you who have difficulty in understanding a British accent, some of the jokes may be difficult to truly enjoy. The Muslim and Jewish (primarily Jewish) stereotypes will make you laugh at loud, though. Unfortunately, the last 1/2 hour… More
The first 15 minutes are really funny. For those of you who have difficulty in understanding a British accent, some of the jokes may be difficult to truly enjoy. The Muslim and Jewish (primarily Jewish) stereotypes will make you laugh at loud, though. Unfortunately, the last 1/2 hour or so just seems to fizzle...with the ending being just silly. Still, all things said, its worth a view.
Deb S

A Muslim Who Just May Be Jewish! The movie revolves around the life a London cab driver Mahmud Nasir, a decent, easy-going family man of very moderate Islamic views (he does not pray five times a day, nor fast every single day in the month of Ramadan and he occasionally has an… More
A Muslim Who Just May Be Jewish! The movie revolves around the life a London cab driver Mahmud Nasir, a decent, easy-going family man of very moderate Islamic views (he does not pray five times a day, nor fast every single day in the month of Ramadan and he occasionally has an alcoholic drink) who finds out that he was adopted and his biological parents are actually Jewish when his mother dies. Understandably upset by the threat this truth might bring to his normalcy, Mahmud hides the truth from his wife and from a son who's about to marry the step-daughter of a radical Pakistani cleric and for the lad's sake, Mahmud is prepared to pretend to be a devout Muslim. During this period Mahmud questions his identity and goes into a cathartic phase until logic prevails and he reaches a firm conclusion of who he is and what it means to be Mahmud Nasir. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=sb7faf" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/sb7faf.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2ch0pp0" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2ch0pp0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=s66trb" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/s66trb.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> Omid Djalili does a great job and his portrayal of the man torn between two ideas is natural and funny, as he explores the Jewish life by enlisting the help of a rival cabbie driver and American Jew who tries to teach him the Jewish traditions, to pass himself off as a parodic Jew so he can get past a protective young Orthodox rabbi (Matt Lucas) and get to see his elderly ailing birth father in a Golders Green old people's home. The Infidel provides some very funny moments and the cultural and religious clashes are hilariously depicted. The film explores this with wry humour which makes it easy viewing, and we note the prevalent use of the internet as a means for modern Muslims to keep current and in-touch. This movie reveals that we have some cultural heritages that don't always get along, but we're all just people and we have to share this world for better or for worse.
Daniel D

it is ok. if your a constant movie wacther its worth seeing but nothing special
Leo L

Humorous! Mahmud Nasir is content with life, his small family, and the music of his favorite musical artist, Gary Page. His son is preparing for marriage with the girl he loves, and his young daughter constantly infuriates her mother with her rambunctious behavior. After losing his… More
Humorous! Mahmud Nasir is content with life, his small family, and the music of his favorite musical artist, Gary Page. His son is preparing for marriage with the girl he loves, and his young daughter constantly infuriates her mother with her rambunctious behavior. After losing his mother, Mahmud and his son, Rashid, decide to clear out her belongings. Amongst a stack of important papers, he learns that he was adopted. Awkwardly dealing with this newfound information, he realizes that his birth father is still alive and hopes to see him soon. In the midst of all this, he becomes friends with Lenny, an American cabdriver. Omid Djalili, Richard Schiff, Archie Panjabi, Amit Shah, Soraya Radford, James Floyd, and Yigal Naor stars. Worthy!