DVD Reviews

Four Lions

• Rating:
• Director: Chris Morris
• Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch
• Details: UK/101 mins (15A)

Hardcore Chris Morris fans may be disappointed with Four Lions, as it barely scratches the surface of what he is capable of in terms of inherently sharp satire. This is a strangely broader (for him) comedy tackling an admittedly taboo subject in similar way to Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It feels like the three stooges were brainwashed into becoming militant Islamic fundamentalists at points, but is only half as funny as that sounds.
The titular Four Lions are a ramshackle group of British jihadists who are set on blowing something up - they just can't really figure out what exactly. The leader of the group is the relatively coolheaded Amir, who is constantly at odds with the more aggressive Barry, a man seems to think that killing their own people would create a ripple effect and cause other Muslim's to rise up and join them. The remaining members of the faction seem to go to whomever shouts the loudest. When they finally settle on a plan of mass destruction, it just might work.
By any other standards it's fair to say that Four Lions is a brave film, tackling a naturally dark subject manner with the kind of slapstick comedy you'd expect from the latest seat-filler at your local multiplex. The fact that it's Morris - the man who infamously managed to get a barrage of A-listers' to join a Nonce Sense campaign - plays against it, as your constantly expecting him to push it that bit further than anyone else. That doesn't mean that it's not an often hilarious and sometimes engaging watch; many scenes will have you genuinely laughing out loud. The group dynamic in particular works very well, delivering a constant stream of laughs.
An entirely British cast hit the anarchic/comedic tone perfectly; no mean feat when you consider the many contradictions that must have arisen when trying to play both of those things simultaneously. Morris too deserves credit for showing a deft hand at directing more overtly comedic situations, and getting cracking performances from his cast.
Things fall apart towards the end when the film tries to wrap itself up with a conclusion that was always going to be difficult to get right. It's hard to figure out if Morris just wanted to tell a recognisable story in a different way, or if genuinely meant to hammer home a message. Either way, Four Lions is only mildly successful.

Review by Mike Sheridan