Member review

'Four Lions' is a strange film to review. Most films have clear good points and their bad, making it easy to note them down. But 'Four Lions' seems to be just the right balance of the two, just the right equilibrium of amusing and insightful that it is hard to make out the difference.

Before having watched this as part of film club, I had watched it once before quite a few years ago (probably before I should have) and enjoyed what I saw. Back then, I didn't truly understand the message 'Four Lions' is trying to send. All that embedded itself in my brain was the hilarity of a man with a box on his head.

While I still laughed (to the point of crying) as I re-watched this, what stuck with me coming out was not the jokes, it was the severity of the situation these characters were in. Our society views Jihadi terrorists as sadistic murderers; cruel to the point of lunacy. And while that may mostly be true, 'Four Lions' presents them in a very different way. It is an intelligent satire on how these terrorists are misguided, bumbling idiots. They are (relatively) normal people with a twisted dedication to religion; perhaps not as extreme as we see them as.

'Four Lions' is an extremely dark comedy; think 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Shaun of the Dead'. It's very enjoyable for everyone - except maybe your grandma - and one I recommend for those who enjoy a good laugh when it really isn't appropriate. But maybe don't watch it after seeing the news.