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It's a fall day in Hussein house. The Rumi Egyptian-American teenager is worried about his oversized comic vest and counterfeit “Chicago Balls”, which his uncle bought in reduction. Her very common elder sister Mona plans to get out to her parents, who are too busy focusing on public service bills and Diana, the princess of Wales, conspiracies to take something else. The date is September 10, 2001; The setting, New Jersey – Just opposite the Hudson river in Manhattan.
So start #1 HAPPY FAMILY USA, A chaotic animated comedy on paranoia and prejudices after September 11 which focuses on the widely patient attempts by the Hussein family to reassure their panicked compatriots that they are Patriotic proud, not potential terrorists.
The series of privileged videos in eight parts on A24 is graciousness of “The Childhood Nightmares of Ramy Youssef”. As a writer behind the semi -ographic comedies Frame And MoYoussef has already been acclaimed for his funny and thoughtful meditations about being taken between daily American life and Muslim heritage. His latest project changes the tone: this is a provocative sending of stereotypes that the white American Americans and the Middle East immigrants use to define each other.
Irreverecious and egalitarian bracassement in its commitment to make fun of everyone, the series is delivered with a flared warning flashing alerting viewers not to “use this animated show as a cultural representation for one of the following communities: Muslims; Arabs; New Jersey”. The following is a comedy that looks like a return to some of the adult caricatures of the time when it is defined. With his mixture of general social comments, childish humor and incessant pop culture references, he could remember Southern park Or Family guy – Although unlike the latter, this show does not strike.
However, not all jokes are part. While each episode inspired moments – Rumi (Youssef) writes to President Bush in the style of “Stan” of Eminem; Father Hussein (also Youssef) transforming his kebab cart into a September 11 memorial selling “Solidarity Shawarma”; Kieran Culkin expressing an exaggerated ally – there is a lack of concentration and finesse. Like a satire, #1 HAPPY FAMILY USA May seem that it was made with a hammer rather than a scalpel: Mona (Alia Shawkat) and the Rumi school replace mathematics with terrorism in the study program; A neighbor of FBI agent (Timothy Olyphant) reveals that the real motto of the office is that “freedom takes place on lies”. Meanwhile, the most sharp observations of the show on Muslim and American customs, privileges and the change of code are lost in the midst of the tides of vulgarity and scenes of feverish chaos.
Between speaking sheep, ghostly appearances, dream sequences and mosque -based musical numbers, #1 HAPPY FAMILY USA can make a confusing visualization. The reality of these weeks after September 11, tacitly suggests Youssef, was no less surreal, no less alienating to live.
★★★ ☆☆
On Amazon Prime Video from April 17
