FOUR LIONS (2010)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Chris Morris
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Adeel Akhtar, Preeya Kalidas, Mohammad Aqil, Craig Parkinson
RunTime: 1 hr 48 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Fims
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language & Mature Content)
Official Website: http://drafthousefilms.com/

Opening Day: 1 September 2011

Synopsis: Chris Morris’ Four Lions is a funny, thrilling comedy that illuminates modern jihadism through the prism of farce. It understands jihadists as human beings. And it understands human beings as innately ridiculous. What This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal and Dr Strangelove the Cold War, Four Lions does for the modern face of terrorism.

Movie Review:

Trust British satirist Chris Morris (best known for the news-spoof radio show ‘On the Hour’ and TV shows ‘The Day Today’ and ‘Brass Hour’) to take the deadly serious subject of jihad and turn it into satire- the result of which is a sharply written and often provocative study on religious fanaticism. Indeed, Morris’ reputation as a provocateur should also be fair warning that his politically incorrect film will not please every demographic, but his extensive research on the subject as well as his trademark wit ensures that this is much more than just farce.

Right from the start, it is clear that there is something off about the group of four Islamic fundamentalists gathered in front of a home video camera trying to get their jihadist video right. The dim-witted Waj (Nigel Lindsay) is the one holding a toddler-sized AK-47 too small to be convincing in front of the camera, while the belligerent and no more intelligent Barry (Nigel Lindsay) bellows instructions from behind the lens. Equally dense is Faizal (Adeel Akhtar), quiet and naïve in his grand plan of training crows to be suicide bombers. The only one with a measure of wit is their leader Omar (Riz Ahmed), whose profile as a loving family man with a wife and a son is probably furthest from that of a terrorist.

Omar is also the most relatable among the quartet to the audience, expressing our disbelief at their plain stupidity. How else would you react to Barry’s insistence that Waj, Faizal and his new recruit Hassan (Arsher Ali) eat their SIM cards to avoid detection by the authorities? Or his plan for them to shake their heads really fast from side to side to avoid being photographed? But as much as we appreciate the commonsensical logic Omar brings to the group, his coolheadedness only makes his conviction as a jihadist even more disturbing.

So too is his wife’s (Preeya Kalidas) endorsement not just of his ideas, but also of his intended actions. Even more alarming is Omar’s bedtime stories to his son, plagiarising the Disney cartoon ‘The Lion King’ to compare his actions to that of the titular character battling the evil Westernised Scar. Morris’ portrayal of Omar and his family dynamics serve to highlight that how the cycle of Islamic extremism is perpetuated within families of radicalists, especially where the seeds of terrorism are sown from a tender young age.

Bumbling and some internal squabbles aside, Omar and his group eventually settle on infiltrating the London Marathon as mascots to inflict maximum collateral damage (suffice to say that Omar wasn’t all too keen on Barry’s plan to blow up a local mosque in order to enrage the moderate Muslims to join the jihad en masse). From the decidedly farcical tone of the first hour, the movie takes a sombre turn as the potential ramifications of their actions become more prominent. Yes, despite the sheer absurdity of the proceedings, there is always the disastrous possibility that they may just succeed in their suicide mission- and Morris isn’t afraid to paint this in stark terms especially towards the end of the film.

But even with a change in tone, Morris’ film remains a surprising coherent and engaging watch throughout. Sure, its mocking tone may be seemingly insensitive to a subject as raw and controversial as Islamic fundamentalism, but Morris’ aim is particularly at homegrown terrorism and the often hypocritical nature of its believers who embrace and yet scorn the very Western culture part and parcel of their own lives. Certainly the portrayal of the terrorists within the film is grossly exaggerated, but that doesn’t mean those in real-life are very much smarter. Whether or not you disagree with his approach, you’ll still be chuckling away at the gags, and thinking of the very possibility that people like Omar, Barry, Faizal, Hassan and Waj may very well exist and succeed in their self-proclaimed religious missions in real life.

Movie Rating:

(It may not please everyone, but this politically incorrect farce is in fact sharp hilarious satire that takes an incisive bite at religious fundamentalism)

Review by Gabriel Chong