Watch Rock the Kasbah For Free

Good movie but grossly overrated

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"Rock the Kasbah" revolves around a washed-up Hollywood music talent agent (Bill Murray) fortuitously booking a gig for his best singer (Zooey Deschanel) in Afghanistan, entertaining the American troops. When they arrive in-country and are greeted by security-obsessed Army types, the singer wigs out and leaves Murray flat, having stolen his money and passport. Murray somehow ends up partnering with a gun-runner (Bruce Willis), and when he accepts an overnight invitation by their warlord customer, discovers that the warlord's daughter is a musical prodigy. Murray then secretly arranges for the the daughter to sing on the Afghan version of "American Idol," which of course she wins and becomes a social and political icon to Afghan women for standing up to her devoutly Muslim, authoritarian father.If all of this seems preposterous that a broke, schlumpy American hustler could even escape getting stoned to death for all this, much less successfully promoting the young singer's television singing career, you're right. But yet, pic is somehow hypnotically engaging, and you end up rooting for the most unlikely characters.The takeaway is that pic is entertaining from the very first frame, partly because of Murray's masterful take on his character, partly because of the deft, lightning-quick direction, and of course, the inspired casting including small, supporting roles with Deschanel, Willis, and Kate Hudson (playing a POSH "working girl" turning tricks out of her ramshackle trailer near the Army base). "Rock the Kasbah" is fun! It's silly and absurd, but fun nonetheless. This is the kind of dark comedy I've needed for some time as an refreshing antidote to the big studio placebos with $200 million dollar budgets that have bored the bejesus out of me lately. "Rock the Kasbah" was produced for fifteen million, proving once again that a good script, good casting, and good direction can produce a wonderfully entertaining film without an astronomical budget.

I sat through it. Give me credit. Was it horrible? Uh, no, not horrible. Was it a good movie? Uh, no, not a good movie. Were there a couple of chuckles and did it kill time? Yes. Did it need more Zooey? Yes, oh yes. But alas, she left early on and it went downhill. I guess there was a background story here about a Afghanistan girl and a talent show and the politics involved. I get the idea but didn't buy how it was presented on screen. Probably a real important issue but this movie didn't do it justice. Give them credit for trying? Okay.There was some interesting scenery.You like Bill Murray? You want to see him be Bill? Fine, go for it. Otherwise, I doubt you make it through it.

"From the moment you heard me sing. Since you found me in the cave. Since we were put here on the Earth. Everything in our lives has led us to this time, this place." Richie Lanz (Murray) is a music manager who has fallen on tough times. When he decides to take his client to Afghanistan on tour she freaks out and disappears. Unsure of what to do he thinks his prayers are answered when he hears someone singing in a cave. He really thinks she has the talent to win the Afghan Star singing competition but is hampered by the traditions of the country. This is a great movie. Just flat out great. Not only is Bill Murray good (as always) but the music is great as well. The best way to describe this is a music centered version of Good Morning Vietnam. Funny and smart with a serious topic all holding it together. This is a movie that I really enjoyed and I recommend highly. Overall, if you liked Good Morning Vietnam you will love this one as well. I give it an A-.

A has-been rock manager from California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave. Richie Lanz, dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client discovers Salima, a teenager with a beautiful voice and the dream of becoming the first woman to compete in Afghanistan's version of "American Idol." Richie partners with a savvy lady of the night, a pair of hard-partying war profiteers, and a hair-trigger mercenary.Braving dangerous cultural prejudices, Richie manages his new finding into becoming the Afghan star she has always wanted to be...........Apparently based loosely on fact, 'Rock The Kasbah' has all the makings of a classic movie. The cast is amazing on paper, the concept is amazing on paper, the situations the characters get themselves into seem hilarious on paper, but this is a film, and it just falls apart around another fantastic performance from Murray.The problem is the humour is all over the shop. One moment it's almost spoof like, then it's the darkest humour ever imaginable, and the final act, the writers forget to inject any humour at all.There is no moral to the story, the film consists of Murray going from one difficult situation to the next, and using his charm to get out of this situation. Along the way he finds this voice, and with this, the film is supposed to show the struggles with religion, apartheid, culture, and what is acceptable within people's beliefs.It's a dangerous subject to have as a comedy-drama, and here it just doesn't work, despite the best efforts from the cast, and having such a prolific director at the helm, it should have been a safe bet.On the plus side, despite having no reason to be in the film, Willis ain't been this good in sometime. His screen time is very little, but he has a wonderful presence, and his character is intimidating.For Murray fans though, he is wonderful, if you could see the film as a succession of sketches, rather than a story, he is hilarious and sympathetic in equal measure. It's a shame that at times he appears to be in a different film to everyone else.It's no surprise that the filmed bombed so hard when released, it's not aimed at a specific demographic, has a strange Three Kings feel to it, and the final scene of the film is more of a whimper than anything else, because the subject matter is nothing new, we see these people's struggles everyday on the news and in the media, we don't need a comedy about it.There is one scene where Murray sings 'Smoke On The Water' to a very bewildered looking audience.I know how they felt.....