High-profile filmmaker (and effective star) Morgan Spurlock's (Super Size Me) documentary essay Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? starts off with the director musing about the dangerous world into which his child will soon be born. So, Spurlock decides to find Osama Bin Laden, the apparent cause of the prevailing post-9/11 zeitgeist of overwhelming insecurity, assuming an attitude of naïve ignorance as he travels from place to place in the Middle East (Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) searching for clues to his quarry's whereabouts. While Spurlock does encounter a relative of Bin Laden sympathetic to the terrorist's methods, most of the “regular folk” he meets along the way turn out to be—surprise, surprise—very much like the rest of us (exhibiting a marked dislike for facets of the American government while still admiring its people). The ultimate message simply echoes Walt Disney's longstanding observation that it's a small world after all. While there are a few moments that hit home, this is not an insightful consideration of radical Islamic fundamentalism or jihad, but more of a standup act in which Spurlock does his now-familiar shtick. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with former IRA leader Martin McGuinness (4 min.), an interview with Israeli President Shimon Peres (4 min.), a three-minute “Three Girls Saudi” featurette on being a woman in Saudi Arabia, an interview with Egyptian democracy activist Saad Ibrahim (2 min.), a two-minute deleted scene of a secret meeting at the Watergate Hotel, an alternate ending (2 min.), an animated history of Afghanistan (2 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a so-so documentary.] (F. Swietek)
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
Weinstein, 90 min., PG-13, DVD: $24.95, Aug. 26 Volume 23, Issue 5
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
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