Four Lions: review

I saw a preview of the new Chris Morris’ new film Four Lions, opening 7 May (thank you Element Pictures). I’m not sure that I have seen any of Chris Morris’ other films before so I can’t compare them. However, I’ll do my best to review it as the stand alone film that it is.

Four Lions is set in a UK suburb and centres on Omar, a young Pakistani man (played by the very talented Riz Ahmed), married with one son, who has rounded up a group of friends to fight ‘the cause’ with him. The film follows their trials and tribulations in trying to get permission to carry on the cause in the UK, to get trained in Pakistan and how they get their plan together in London. It is the story of these five young suicide bombers.

The strange thing about the film is that it is about terrorists-not ‘those terrorists’ who society thinks are those who are different and who stand out and who are religious or fanatical or any of that, but regular lads with ordinary jobs and young families, who happen to have decided to fight for something they think it is their duty to do. When you watch the trailer, it looks like a funny film - and it is - but there is almost an unease about laughing either at or with these guys. They have serious business and are terrorists, yet you somehow grow to like the characters despite the inevitability of where they are going and what they are doing.

Some of their ridiculous schoolboy tactics to avoid tracking by the ‘Feds’ are laughable, none more so than eatng their SIM cards to avoid GPS tracking.

Omar trying to convince Waj that they are right in taking action themselves:

-It’s like being at Alton Towers Waj, do you want to be in the queue or do you want to be on the ride?

-I wanna be on the ride brother!

-On Nemesis or somefink like that, yeah?

-Nah Rubber Dinghy Rapids bruvver, Rubber Dinghy Rapids!!

One of the discourses with Waj, the least intelligent and most easily led of the bunch. His innocence and lack of a clue is funny but becomes heart breaking at later points in the film.

It is a hilarious, sad and troubling film that stayed with me for many days after I saw it and one I would definitely take the time to watch again.