Save your money for something good and enjoyable

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

(19%) A British comedy littered with famous TV faces (or at least to those who live in the UK anyway) that does at least try and bring the divisions in religion a little closer together, but sadly when it comes to being funny this is lacking by quite a big margin. Omid Djalili is a likable, funny guy who tries his best with his oddball, at times highly obnoxious character, while the premise was there for this to be at least a decent watch with plenty of bite. So it's sad that the script is ponderous, a little lazy, and really lacking in the laughs department. I counted two maybe three minor sniggers in the whole film which isn't enough by any stretch. There are some decent bits in among the drab, messy script, but not enough to make this a recommendation.

The Infidel is directed by Josh Appignanesi and written by David Baddiel. It stars Omid Djalili, Richard Schiff, Yigal Naor and Matt Lucas. Music is by Erran Baron Cohen and cinematography by Natasha Braier. Mahmud Nasir, a British Muslim, goes through an identity crisis when he discovers he was adopted as a child and born to a Jewish family.It's a tricky subject to make a comedy out of, but by and large the makers have produced an enjoyable and observational pleasure. Led by the ebullient Omid Djalili as the conflicted protagonist, film unfolds in a series of sections involving Israel, Palestine, Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Along the way there are some great gags, both visual and vocal, but then it culminates in the inevitable message and relies heavily on a weak reveal. The motives and means are genuine, this is not an offensive movie, it has a point and for those who want to delve deeper there is much to kick off discussion. But ultimately it's a good comedy with strong themes of identity and family ties binding the racial hot points at the core. 6/10

Mahmud Nasir is a married father, a laid back Muslim who listens to rock music and a guy enjoys an occasional drink whose son Rashid is about to marry Uzma, the daughter of a Muslim cleric who must approve of the family. Mahmud agrees to act devout to please his son.Trouble starts when Mahmud cleans out his deceased mother's house and discovers that he was adopted. Even more shocking, his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz. He has a bad relationship with his neighbor, Lenny Goldberg, and when accused of being anti-Semitic, slips out his real identity. This leads to his biological father in a nursing home. When he attempts to visit, he is stopped by a rabbi, who says the shock would kill him. He asks Lenny to teach him to be Jewish. He learns to dance and to speak some Yiddish. He goes back to the nursing home but fails the rabbi's test to enter the room.Back at home, Mahmud meets his son's fiancé's family, including the radical Muslim father who is impressed with the video circulating of Mahmud burning a yarmulke in public. The police show up to subdue a crowd of angry Muslims and Jews and his family leave him, as does his partner at work. His father dies and he uncovers a secret regarding a Muslim leader which is both a surprise and provides a good ending to The Infidel. It is both funny and delivers a good message at the same time; can't we all just get along.

I instantly recognised the leading actor on the DVD cover, and I noticed it being the first film to be written by David Baddiel, I obviously hadn't heard about during its release, but I decided to try it out. Basically Mahmud (Omid Djalili) is a loving husband and doting father, he may say the F word quite a lot and may not pray much, but he is relaxed living as a Muslim. It is after his mother had died that he finds something out that he never knew about himself, his birth certificate reveals not just that he was adopted, but that he was actually born Jewish. Mahmud's real name is Solly Shimshillewitz, and after this revelation he is in a spat of identity crisis, he is pretty convinced he needs to convert into his true birth religion. The only person Mahmud can turn to help him achieve this and teach him lessons in Jewishness is from American Jewish taxi driver Lenny (Deep Impact's Richard Schiff), from the palm action to dancing like Topol. After so much effort trying to change himself, and getting himself in trouble with both his family and friends, and even the authorities, Muhmud decides in the end not to hide the truth about his heritage, but he will remain a Muslim and ask everyone to let it lie. Also starring Archie Panjabi as Saamiya, Amit Shah as Rashid, Yigal Naor as Arshad El Masri, Mina Anwar as Muna, Soraya Radford as Uzma, Matt Lucas as Rabbi, Miranda Hart as Mrs. Keyes and Paul Kaye as Policeman. Djalili, who would normally be seen in supporting roles, does pretty well as the main character, and Schiff is dry-witted, Baddiel does pretty alright in the writing, I didn't get all the jokes, this may offend some people, but for me, not a bad comedy. Okay!