Friday 29 May 2015

Ishtar (1987 Elaine May & scr)

Much-maligned film is tremendous fun, with Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman (excellent) as the worst singer-songwriters in history. Could have done with a bit more stupid Beatty - he underplays a lot considering he's the producer. And if Billy Wilder had been watching, he's have said 'They go through all that, and neither gets the girl?' (Isabelle Adjani, who I fell in crush with watching Herzog's Nosferatu).

Charles Grodin is the CIA operative; with Jack Weston, Carol Kane. Apart from a couple of stunning desert shots, you wouldn't know Vittorio Storaro was behind the camera.

Lots of very funny moments include a servant in a royal palace walking backwards quickly out of the room; their best ever gig; a blind camel etc And that great line 'I recognised your men from the Kalashnikovs we sold you'.

With theme of turbulent Middle East and technology it's actually very topical.

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