FOUR LIONS review

Has written by a good friend of mine..a self-confessed film freak like yours truly but insightful musings nonetheless by a man who knows his stuff:

With a film containing as contentious a story as this, I was unsure what to expect from Four Lions. Chris Morris has a sense of humour that often courts controversy as it is, adding that to a story surrounding suicide bombers in the UK and the resulting press attached to the film was inevitable.

Whether that helped or hindered the film as a success, I am still unsure. What I am certain of, however, is that Four Lions is very, very funny.

Yes, some of the stupidity of the characters often seems a little implausible, but each is performed with such commitment and often excellent comic timing that they are a joy to watch - and at the end of the day, I think it would some of the harsher critics of this film to remember that is first and foremost a comedy.

I have read many articles about claiming that Morris seems to have been to fearful in really tackling the arguments surrounding suicide bombers and their Jihad against the West in greater depth. However, just because it is against this backdrop that Morris is telling his story, I don't think that automatically makes it his responsibility to provide a piece of cinema that explores the rights and wrongs of religious motivation and action, terrorism and the destruction of Western infidels.

This film is about 5 men that come together and through their own incompetence, stupidity, stubborn pride and complete ignorance that the results of their embarking on the usually spiritual journey to Allah becomes hilarious.

That comedy, however, does not serve to trivialise the sacrifice made by such men when they are true believers nor the devastating impact that their actions have on many innocent people. Four Lions simply stays true to the characters within the story and leaves the political debate about it's content for others to argue. It is simply a well-written, brilliantly executed and very funny film.

Thank you Mark Brennan, for this review and for wanting to share it with my followers