About

Hapless singer-songwriters Chuck and Lyle (Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty) finally catch a break when they land a gig as lounge musicians in Morrocco. They quickly find themselves caught up in an ever-expanding web of international intrigue after they become involved with a local revolutionary (Isabelle Adjani) in a plot to overthrow the Emir of the Middle Eastern nation of Ishtar.

Writer-director Elaine May blends rapid-fire screwball banter with Carry On... absurdity in this comedy blockbuster. Critically derided and commercially calamitous upon its initial release, the film has since been reclaimed by a new generation of cinephiles, led by advocates including Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Driven by its deliberately ridiculous (yet undeniably memorable) songs, Istar is a biting satire of Reagan-era American interventionism and a hilarious examination of creative struggle.