FILM CHALLENGE: 179) Four Lions

179) Four Lions

Director: Chris Morris

Year: 2010

Plot Summary: Four British jihadists push their abstract dreams of glory to breaking point.

Chris Morris is popular for tackling controversial and taboo subjects that any other comedian would steer far away from. His TV show Brass Eye, for example, shocked many UK viewers with an absurd and satirical episode about paedophilia. With his first feature length movie, therefore, it's almost unsurprising that he would take on the subject of fundamentalist terrorism and turn it into somewhat of a buddy comedy.

Taking on this kind of story isn't anything less than a brave, risky move. However, Morris pulls it off incredibly, making it not only a hilariously funny picture but one that also raises interesting themes that cinema has never done before and provokes a lot of debate about the nature of terrorism. Amid the jokes, it's what drives these characters to commit such acts and the strangely heartwarming chemistry they have that keeps the narrative so involving.

But, let's not harp on about things those aspects, what you need to know most of all about Four Lions above anything else is that it's a riotously funny black comedy. From the very first scene, a spoof on the home videos used by terrorists to broadcast their messages, right to the climax in which the four characters are disguised in fancy dress for the London Marathon, it provides a countless amount of laughs. Much of the humour is slapstick, but it's made clever by the fact that it is placed in such unique situations that have never before been explored in comedy.

Almost demanding to be seen, Four Lions is an essential watch that will undoubtedly be one of the milestones of this generation's comedy cinema. Bold and brilliant.

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment