A new British film tells the story of a Muslim who discovers — whoa — he’s really a Jew. The film, "The Infidel," coincides with another humorous take on Britain’s Muslims — the story of radicals who try to blow themselves up during the London marathon.
"Four Lions," which received mixed reviews when it premiered at the Sundance film festival earlier this year, hits cinemas on May 7 and satirizes a group of hapless Muslims who decide to blow themselves, and others up during the London Marathon.
Given the similarities to the real-life attacks on the city’s transport system in 2005 that killed 52 people, some reviewers found watching the comedy an uncomfortable experience.
And "The Infidel," which opens on Friday, follows Muslim family man Mahmud Nasir, played by comedian Omid Djalili, who discovers he was in fact born a Jew called Solly Shimsillewitz.
In a light-hearted, low-budget movie, Mahmud strives to learn more about his real roots from an alcoholic Jewish cabbie called Lenny while at the same time trying to impress his son’s prospective father-in-law who is a firebrand Muslim preacher.
Writer David Baddiel, a British television personality, seeks to expose prejudices in both communities by making fun of them, but believes that comparisons between The Infidel and Four Lions are not entirely fair.
"I think there’s a slight weirdness in them being lumped together," he told Reuters in an interview.
