Categories: film
Date: 28 April 2010 09:21:51
The Infidel is one of those suprise must see, low budget, wonderfully funny films that Britain produces every so often. It is the brainchild of David Baddiel and tells the story of a guy who has been bought up as a Muslim, but then finds out he was adopted at two weeks old and his parents were actually Jewish. The main character is not a stereotype extremist rather a nominal Muslim on many levels. The fundamentalist does turn up but is shown for what he is. It is a brilliant film because it takes something completely unbelieveable but makes it into something realistic. Watching this film and the friendship between the Jew and Muslim in it took me back to memories of a class I once taught. There was a Jewish and a Muslim guy in the group and they were really good friends who would sit there and take the mick out of the Christian kids in the Sociology of Religion unit because whilst they both knew about their own religions and so in turn a bit about other religions the English "Christian" kids knew nothing. They would occassionally mock each other in a way which was good natured and intelligent. It was a great friendship to watch in action, as is the one which develops in this film. As it is a low budget British film it isn't on in as many cinemas as the big budget block busters. However, it is showing how consumer power can make something a hit. When I spoke to The Tyneside cinema last week to see whether it would just be on for one week they said probably, it would depend how it did over the first weekend. Well, now it's on next week aswell. Oh and for info the Tyneside Cinema is a wonderful little movie theatre. Hadn't been there before, but it is really lovely. Artsy without being poncey.