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Amazon.co.uk Review
It really shouldn’t work. A black comedy that’s basically about four terrorists, planning an atrocity on UK soil? That’s surely a film that’s designed to wind up tabloid newspapers? In the wrong hands, it certainly could have been. But under the diligent stewardship of Chris Morris, Four Lions emerges as one of the best films of the year.
It’s a perfectly pitched, at times rightly uncomfortable comedy, that brings together a quartet of inept terrorists, who when we meet them, can’t even put a video together without it falling into farce. It’s an opening scene that sets up Four Lions perfectly. And led by the terrific Riz Ahmed and the scene-stealing Nigel Lindsay, the company of actors rise to the challenge that Chris Morris sets them.
Four Lions isn’t a perfect film, though. The tone is a little uneven at times, and it’s very much one that’s going to feel more at home on a television than a cinema screen. But it’s still a daring, risky and at times extremely funny piece of work. And it’s one not afraid to pull the rug on you, either, never shielding itself away from the undercurrents of its subject matter. It’s the most ambitious comedy in a long, long time, and it’s credit to all concerned that it works as well as it does. --Simon Brew
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), WIDESCREEN, SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Deleted Scenes, Documentary, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: In a British city, four men have a secret plan. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is disillusioned about the treatment of muslims around the world and is determined to become a soldier. This is the most exciting idea Waj (Kayvan Novak) has ever heard. Better still it's a no brainer because Omar does his thinking for him. Opposed to Omar and everyone else on earth is the white islamic convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay). He'd realize he joined the cell to channel his nihilism - If he had half the self knowledge of a duck. Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) is the odd man out. He can make a bomb - but he can't blow himself up just now coz his sick dad has 'started eating newspaper'. Instead he's training crows to fly bombs through windows. This is what Omar has to deal with. They must strike a decisive blow on their own turf but can any of them strike a match without punching himself in the face? SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Sundance Film Festival, ...Four Lions (2010) ( Tesseris leontes ) ( 4 Lions )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tragi-comedy,
By
This review is from: Four Lions - Special Edition [DVD] (DVD)
Chris Morris sees the worst in nearly everyone, he then ups the pace a little and records it. The result is usually unpleasant, often very funny, and sometimes an eye-opener. In Morris World everyone is stupid, self-serving or mendacious; many characters manage all three without breaking into a sweat. We are invited to laugh at the characters and not with them. However, laugh most of us do. The story of four West Riding Asian lads (plus a white convert from the Fred Kite school of organising) in their struggle to become suicide bombers should be anything but amusing, but where the human side mixes with the doctrinaire concept it is both amusing and touching. To varying degrees the purity of the Islamic background has been lost to the effects of living in a Western society; and both of these backgrounds exist in the main protagonists at the same time. The response of Police, intelligence services and British officials is scarcely more effective. It is undoubtedly black comedy of the blackest kind.Those of you unable to follow West Riding accents are going find this film a strain.
57 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost excellent, but still pushing the boundaries of satire,
This film is about a group of Jihadist friends in Sheffield who plan to martyr themselves. Sounds hilarious, right? Well, bizarrely, it pretty much works. In taking on the subject, you've got to suspect Morris has deliberately decided to take the bull by the horns on the debate as to whether anything should be off limits in the world of satire and comedy. His willingness to make us question the absurdity of the received wisdom on subjects is precisely why he is such an important film maker. Everyone will remember his Brass Eye special "Paedo Britain" which absurdly had Government Minsters outraged - despite not actually having sat down and watched it through.
The film has courted controversy and some of the 7/7 families have asked people not to support it. This is totally understandable. Morris clearly isn't condoning suicide bombings with this film, but where he's been very successful and clever is that he's not mocking the Jihadists either. Its a fine line to walk, and aside from perhaps the overly dumb characterisation of Waj (Omar's best friend) and Fassel (who wants to deliver bombs by mounting them on crows) the film works very well as a black comedy - there was plenty of laughter tonight in Cineworld Cardiff, and its quite something to get an audience to belly-laugh when someone detonates themselves. Thankfully the more awkward 'dumb lines' (what are those rabbits doing here / its a chicken bro, etc) are limited to the first 30 minutes of the film. From then on, the film finds its groove and the characterisation becomes more credible, with Riz Ahmed as Omar really carrying the film - he manages to combine the poignancy of his family knowing about his Jihadist calling whilst simultaneously avoiding either schmultz or steering the film away from its satirical core. Probably not the best thing Morris has ever done, but, let's face it, Morris on a bad day would beat 90% of stuff by other writers. I think challenging comedy as produced by Morris deserves wide public support - as the Onion demonstrated after the 9/11 attacks ('Holy ****ing ***t, America under attack') - frequently comedy and actually laughing at tragedy is the best way to start a dialogue and open up. Go out and see it, laugh, think.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Lionheart of a film,
By Lat "bookman" (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Four Lions - Special Edition [DVD] (DVD)
Lets start with the film itself before we review the dvd. Hilarious. No doubts. This was a risque subject matter but it was handled well. The bufoon bombers are typical uneducated who seriously dont have a clue why they are doing what they are doing and this probably goes to all these idiots that blow themselves up taking innocent lives with them. These people are cowards and this film exposes their cowardice in a laughable manner.The character of Barry is priceless. Easily the funniest in the film. They should make a movie about the buffons in the BNP too and call that cowardly lions because I think a film exposing their idiocy needs to be done. The dvd itself:- No commentary. Definately should have had a commentary track. The deleted scenes are hilarious too. Cannot understand why they were deleted other than timing reasons possibly but good to see these included. Other extras include a few short making off interviews. The cover is a bit offputting to any marketing campaign. In the front is a picture of a crow. In the back a character from the film dressed as an Ostrich. The title "Four Lions" but other than that nothing to explain what this film was all about. Very strange! Clearly bad campaigning for a great film. I only bought it because I had seen it on television. If I did not know the subject matter I would not have a clue what this was all about. However buy this as this is British comedy at its best
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