By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Elaine May
Starring: Aharon Ipalé | Carol Kane | Charles Grodin | Dustin Hoffman | Isabelle Adjani | Jack Weston | Tess Harper | Warren Beatty
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 107
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093278/reference
Michael says: “Notorious as one of moviedom’s biggest flops, Elaine May’s comedy of errors that puts two befuddled wanna-be songwriters wandering the desert outside of Morocco entangled in a complicated political plot involving the C.I.A., the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow him. Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman play Chuck & Lyle, who lack as much common sense as they do talent. When they take a gig to perform at a nightclub in Morocco they are each independently approached by Shirra, sister to a rebel trying to overthrow the Emir, and become inadvertently tangled in her plot. While the film cost was released in 1987, it had the feel of the 60’s capers of Barbra Streisand, but lacks the polish and elegance of those films… and yet… and yet… there’s something so absurdly bad (?) or maybe brilliant about the film that toward the end I found myself laughing out loud, and confused as to whether I loved or hated the film. The snippets of songs we hear Hoffman and Beatty perform were written by May and songwriter Paul Williams, and are ridiculously funny in their absurdity. Elaine May is another filmmaker who fascinates me, and I look forward to catching THE HEARTBREAK KID to complete my look at her early work. Somehow, I ended up giving ISHTAR 4 cats.”