Four Lions

Like all the best comedies, 'Four Lions' is hilarious until it absolutely isn't. Given his prior work, it probably shouldn't be a real surprise that Chris Morris is able to pull this off, but this film is a real exercise in tightrope walking: it lampoons incompetence, but incompetence among would-be suicide bombers; it takes shots at religious extremism, but also governmental overkill in response to religious extremism; and, for a film co-written and directed by a trio of non-Muslim Englishmen, it features Muslim characters, but it neither condemns nor exalts them for their religion. It is probably worthwhile calling out that, there may be an argument to be made that the does film traffic in certain stereotypes, I (as a privileged, white, Western male) think that it is pretty clearly handled as satire and that the satire is not directed solely at one target -- the film is broadly condemning the intended actions (and incapabilities) of its main characters, but additionally using its concluding act to shift sympathies and likewise condemn the so-called 'proper' reactions to it (the 'State' response, if you will), and showing it for its own incompetency. Anyway, I think it's a remarkable film, albeit one that's likely going to bother someone (for one reason or another) in almost any group. Caught up with some other stuff I'd not previously reviewed, if you wanna see : Barbie The Lincoln Lawyer Hijack Who Is Erin Carter? The Meg We Are Going to Eat You