A comedy about jihad is certain to cause a stir, and indeed Four Lions made headlines at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. Cultural provocateur Chris Morris, known in Britain for his black satire and biting wit, has directed a film that removes terrorism from the glum and solemn treatment it’s received in films such as United 93 and Paradise Now. Instead, he presents the absurdity of committing jihad within the context of an oft-hilarious farce.
The image we tend to have of terrorists is that of bearded, well-organized, evil Muslim men hell-bent on the destruction of Western values. However, after conducting extensive research, Morris doesn’t believe that our perceptions are accurate. Instead, he presents terrorists as bumbling idiots, disorganized and inept individuals who lack rationality and a clear ideology. They are presented at the fringe of both Western and Muslim society, more interested in making rap videos than in taking down Britain.
At the center of the film is Omar (Ahmed), who, despite having a loving wife and child, inexplicably wants to be a suicide bomber. He recruits a team of accomplices including the braindead Waj (Novak), white convert Barry (Lindsay), and Fassal (Akhtar), who trains crows how to fly bombs. Their antics are the source of much of film’s humor, as Barry continually tries to assume a leadership role. In one scene he hilariously suggests bombing a mosque to radicalize moderate Muslims. Later, Omar and Waj travel to Pakistan to attend terrorist training, and the result is howlingly funny.
Like the brilliant In The Loop, Four Lions utilizes hand-held, shaky cameras to creature a faux-documentary aesthetic. It is often uncomfortable to watch, suggesting that the only way to understand violent lunacy is through laughter. However, as the film gets progressively darker and the terrorists plot to detonate bombs at the London Marathon, the film finds itself with too much on its plate. The central irony, of course, is that terrorism isn’t funny, but the gags and dialogue aren’t always creative enough to reach poignancy. However, the film takes political incorrectness to a whole new level, and its irreverence is largely fresh and enjoyable.
Directed by: Chris Morris
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Adeel Akhtar
Rated R, 97 min.
3.5 Stars
