As much as I appreciate the love Bill Murray gets from arthouse auteurs like Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch, there are times when the great man should cut loose in a big, broad comedy. “Rock the Kasbah” aims for that spirit, but — nope, no cigar.
Murray plays an L.A. talent manager, Richie Lanz, who never made the big time but has a bushel of anecdotes about hanging out with Madonna and Jimi Hendrix. Given a shot to take his latest protégé (Zooey Deschanel, amusing before she exits the film) on a USO tour in Afghanistan, Richie comes a-cropper when things fall apart in Kabul.
His trust in a pair of weapons dealers (Danny McBride and Scott Caan) is ill-judged, his liaison with a gold-plated hooker (Kate Hudson) is expensive, and there’s this mercenary (Bruce Willis, grim throughout) who keeps turning up at key moments.
These disasters are promising, actually; Murray’s funny and loose, wrapped in pink-tinted sunglasses and showbiz smarm, and director Barry Levinson tries to get a little of his “Wag the Dog” mojo back.
There’s a great black comedy waiting to come out of the tale of a misplaced American adrift in a Middle Eastern war zone, and some of the jokes here have some snap. But this set-up derails when Richie travels to an Afghan town and discovers a young woman, Salima (Leem Lubany), who can sing.
His brainstorm is to put her on “Afghan Star,” the local version of “American Idol” (it’s a real show, with a big following). The problem is that a woman singing on TV will offend a large part of the population, and possibly get everybody involved beheaded. (Even if, as Richie says, she sticks to Cat Stevens and Jimmy Cliff songs — ”Only the Muslim West.”)
This scenario can only end with some inspirational messages and a dollop of redemption for washed-up Richie. Which is a long way from the loosey-goosey comedy of the early reels here, even as Murray scores regular laughs.
“Rock the Kasbah” — the dialogue acknowledges that there are no casbahs in Afghanistan, by the way — zips right along. I liked the way scenes seemed to start in the middle, although some storytelling threads are left hanging and certain characters vanish abruptly (was there supposed to be a payoff with Taylor Kinney’s friendly soldier?). It’s another miss for Bill Murray, even though the man himself emerges with his sloppy dignity intact.
“Rock the Kasbah” (2 1/2 stars)
Bill Murray gets a good silly role, but this comedy about a washed-up music promoter who gets stranded in Afghanistan trails off after a promising start. Director Barry Levinson tries to get in a “Wag the Dog” black-comedy mode, but the film doesn’t quite click.
Rating: R, for language, violence
Showing: Alderwood Mall, Cinebarre Mountlake Terrace, Everett Stadium, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall
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