Four Lions: Movie Review

Four Lions: Movie Review

Four Lions
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Adeel Akhtar
Director: Chris Morris
A comedy film about British Muslims looking to commit a terrorist act - there's already some of you out there reading this who've formed your own opinion of what this is.

Well, let me tell you - you're completely wrong.

British satirist Chris Morris turns his eye on four would be suicide bombers in this hilariously insane comedy.

The would be terror cell are so incompetent that their leader Omar (Ahmed) shows the messed up takes of their terrorist video to his son and says they could be deleted scenes for a DVD release.

This quartet wants to take their dreams of Jihadism to new levels - and plot to devastate the London Marathon. But Omar is disillusioned about the treatment of Muslims around the world and is determined to become a soldier - however, his views clash with that of white Islamic convert Barry (Lindsay) who believes a) that he's "the most al Qaeda one here" and b) that blowing up a mosque would be the best way to set the world alight.

As their ideologies and opinions clash, the group blunders ever closer to achieving their goals - despite their innate stupidity.

Sure,in anyone else's hands the words suicide bombers and comedy wouldn't work but with Morris, everything in this film works.

From the minute the film opens,it's clear the clueless quartet have no idea what they're doing- in Morris' hands (along with script writers of the brilliant Peep Show)this is savagely funny (even if you can see some of the jokes coming).

Granted there will be debate about how the four are portrayed - and some will take offence.

However, the writers planned for that during their in depth research and talking to Muslims - every sensitivity has been taken to ensure what you see on screen is not offensive or racist.

What Morris and his team of writers have done is take logical arguments over the matter to the absolute absurd end.

There are also endlessly quotable lines too which will find their way into people's Facebook statuses.

But no one in this ends up superior -even the police are incompetent (a great scene sees two policemen arguing over whether they've shot a man in a bear costume or a Wookie outfit during a fun run) - it's this kind of approach which Morris has adopted - everyone's an idiot and no-one's more superior to anyone.

It's farcical in places and yet as the final scenes roll out, it's also quite poignant and sad as you realise these four have negotiated themselves into a corner. It's the sign of an insanely smart writer and director that such an ending can be achieved.

However, be warned this film contains an infectious use of a Toploader song.