Considered upon its release one of the worst films of all time Ishtar has not lost an ounce of its tawdry luster over the decades. A supreme act of narcissistic hubris by two fifty year old mega stars who think they can pass for the next Simon of Garfunkel, the film finds itself in troubled waters from the outset.
Late 20 somethings, Chuck (Dustin Hoffman) and Lyle (Warren Beatty) have dreams of being the next superstar folk/rock duo by way of their lounge act, their only roadblock, getting an agent. They find one (Jack Warden) and he books the pair in Morrocco where the hijinks ratchet up as they involve themselves with the CIA and terrorists.
Sporting great heads of hair with matching headbands this Hope /Crosby road comedy is an utter aberration of crass, slap happy abrasiveness. Hoffman and Beatty have zero chemistry with their poor soul attitudes and their act, so blatantly bad it looks like a lousy self parody of a self parody of a straight comedy. Ineptly directed by Elaine May ( understandably her last) she along with her stars attempt and fail miserably to bowl you over with their charisma in silly mode of heavy handed mugging.
Ironically her former cowriter standup act Mike Nichols directed Beatty with Jack Nicholson in an earlier fiasco, The Fortune, a flop with the same similar abrasive sense of humor, both trying to be Sturges like but ending Stooge like instead, as in Shemp. The legend deservedly lives on.
Late 20 somethings, Chuck (Dustin Hoffman) and Lyle (Warren Beatty) have dreams of being the next superstar folk/rock duo by way of their lounge act, their only roadblock, getting an agent. They find one (Jack Warden) and he books the pair in Morrocco where the hijinks ratchet up as they involve themselves with the CIA and terrorists.
Sporting great heads of hair with matching headbands this Hope /Crosby road comedy is an utter aberration of crass, slap happy abrasiveness. Hoffman and Beatty have zero chemistry with their poor soul attitudes and their act, so blatantly bad it looks like a lousy self parody of a self parody of a straight comedy. Ineptly directed by Elaine May ( understandably her last) she along with her stars attempt and fail miserably to bowl you over with their charisma in silly mode of heavy handed mugging.
Ironically her former cowriter standup act Mike Nichols directed Beatty with Jack Nicholson in an earlier fiasco, The Fortune, a flop with the same similar abrasive sense of humor, both trying to be Sturges like but ending Stooge like instead, as in Shemp. The legend deservedly lives on.