Film Review – Four Lions

Four Lions Written and Directed by Chris Morris

Preorder: Blu-ray or DVD

Description: A handful of young men set out to take on the decadent West but are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else. Omar (Riz Ahmed) has decided to form a terrorist cell to bring forth a jihad against a culture he believes is dominated by the sinful and ignorant, however Omar isn’t much of leader and he’s assembled an unimpressive team of fellow terrorists. Waj (Kayvan Novak) lacks the brainpower to come up with ideas or direction on his own, Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) is shy and doesn’t have much to say and Barry (Nigel Lindsay) is a recent convert to Islam who tries to make up for his lack of practical knowledge with fierce passion. But are Omar and his partners a legitimate threat to the safety of Great Britain, or just four half-bright twenty-somethings with more bluster than imagination?

This review is based on a copy I bought myself.

Lady-T’s Review: On the surface of it, Four Lions is one of those films where you look at the synopsis and wonder how anyone ever thought it was going to be a good idea. Because let’s be honest, when talking about what is a sensitive and contentious topic like terrorism, suicide bombing and Islamic fundamentalism, most filmmakers aren’t going to want to touch it with a ten foot pole, let alone make it into a dark comic farce.

But then again, most filmmakers aren’t Chris Morris.

For those who have never seen his caustic and unflinchingly cynical mid-90′s series The Day Today or its successor, Brasseye, it’s worth pointing out that Morris does have a bit of a reputation in the UK. His notorious Brasseye Paedophile Special received a record number of complaints when it first aired on Channel 4, and with contemporaries and regular collaborators such as Armando Iannucci (The Thick Of It, In The Loop) and Charlie Brooker, it’s not awfully hard to guess the tone that Morris’ work tends to take.

Four Lions is his debut feature film, but his stylistic fingerprints are much in evidence beneath the rapid-fire dialogue and the understated absurdity of the humour. The story focuses on a small group of British Islamic terrorists and their attempts to organise a synchronised, meaningful attack within the UK. They are hampered by a generally disinterested society and a complete lack of common sense, grounded firmly within the realms of a quite apathetic suburban existance. These are guys with lives and jobs and middle-class aspirations seeking an excuse for personal glorification rather than the furthering of any real idealistic standpoint. What thwarts them is not any particular fault with their religion or conviction, but instead their own intense and crippling individual stupidity.

It is this particular choice that probably saves the film from falling into the most overtly offensive pitfalls. The characters are not defined by their religious affiliation, they are instead just astonishing morons. Ejected from a terrorist training camp in Pakistan for gross incompetence, and trying to hold secret planning meetings across children’s IM service ‘Party Puffins’, it is always clear that it is the characters as individuals who are to blame for their actions and, rather than vilifying their faith, it’s their very human half-assed vanity that is ultimately the point of ridicule.

That said, no side fares particularly well from Morris’ observational standpoint. The authorities emerge from it just as useless as the terrorists themselves, and there’s a fabulous exchange between two Police marksmen on a rooftop about The Honey Monster, a wookiee, whether either of them is actually a bear and which one of them they’re supposed to shoot at, that rather sums up the tone of the film as a whole.

It is by turns graphic, insane and surprisingly humanising. There are parts that should, rationally speaking, be more horrific than hilarious but yet it is hard not to laugh. Because some of the things that happen are so absurd and unexpected, even though part of your brain is aware that it’s wrong you sort of can’t help but find it funny.

Four Lions is admittedly not for the sensitive. There is animal death, human death, offensive language and a sense of humour that’s more inclined to sneak up on you with facepalm-inducing disbelief than outright belly-laughs. Additionally the hand-held camera style can be a little wearing at times. But it makes for what can only be classified as a genuinely unique and original viewing experience. If you can get past the occasionally obscure British vernacular there’s a rewarding level of naturalism to the script and performances, and a taste of genuine pathos at its ultimate conclusion.

I’ve seen Four Lions a number of times now and I find that I like it more with each subsequent viewing. I am continually finding new points and incidental asides worthy of note in what is already a densely packed, dialogue-heavy script. It’s probably not the kind of film you watch for light entertainment, it is quite dark and unflinching and may require a little work if British slang is not among your native languages, but ultimately it is also very much worth the effort.

Reviews Elsewhere
The Telegraph
The Guardian
Time
Time Out London
Empire