Tickling Giants
Tickling Giants, directed by Sara Taksler, is a 2017 documentary film about the story of Bassem Youssef. In the midst of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Bassem Youssef makes a decision to leave his job as a heart surgeon to become a full-time comedian. Dubbed "The Egyptian Jon Stewart," Bassem creates the satirical show Al Bernameg. Tickling Giants follows the team of Al Bernameg as they endure physical threats, protests, and legal action, all because of jokes.
| Tickling Giants | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Sara Taksler |
| Written by | Sara Taksler |
| Produced by | Maziar Bahari Monica Hampton Frederic Rose Sara Taksler |
| Starring | Bassem Youssef Jon Stewart |
| Cinematography | Wail Gzoly |
| Music by | Paul Tyan |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English, Arabic |
| Box office | $51,500[1] |
Reception
The documentary has been well received. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100% approval rating, based on 24 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Tickling Giants offers a powerful demonstration of how satire can influence government policy -- and a sobering warning regarding the double-edged effects of regime change."[2] Metacritic gave it a score of 78 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3] Owen Gleiberman says, "Mostly, the movie makes you understand how every society - and ours more than ever - needs people like Bassem Youssef to demonstrate that laughter will always be one of the essential ways to keep power in check."[4]
See also
References
- "Tickling Giants Box Office Mojo listing". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- Tickling Giants at Rotten Tomatoes
- Tickling Giants at Metacritic
- Gleiberman, Owen (24 March 2017). "Film Review: 'Tickling Giants'". Variety Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.