Four Lions (2010) - British Film about UK Muslim's Jihad against the "West"

[The Stig]

(MC: 68, RT: 81%)

I done an extensive google/forum search and I can't find anyone referencing to this film at all. The DVD of this film got released in the US on 8th March 2011, a huge 6-7month odd gap between the UK release and the US release of the film. Not sure how this slipped past all our radars. It's not even in the "Last good movie you saw/and would recommend to others ~" thread, and no one has brought it up once.

I was given the tip off to see it as soon as possible, so I went to retrieve a copy of it, and it was simply amazing. Definitely our kind of humour on these forums. I won't spoil it for all but here's a DVD box of it; spoilered for huge:

Spoiler: show

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._AA1181_.jpg

Here's a summary of it:

A handful of young men set out to take on the decadent West but are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else in this black comedy from the creator of Brass Eye, Chris Morris. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is a devout Muslim living in the United Kingdom who has decided to form a terrorist cell to bring forth a jihad against a culture he believes is dominated by the sinful and ignorant. However, Omar isn't much of leader, and he's assembled an unimpressive team of fellow terrorists, among them Waj (Kayvan Novak), who lacks the brainpower to come up with ideas or direction on his own; Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), who is shy and doesn't have much to say; and Barry (Nigel Lindsay), a recent convert to Islam who tries to make up for his lack of practical knowledge with fierce passion. As Omar and his comrades debate both doctrine and methods, they ponder such notions as using birds as explosive devices, creating video communiqués with a hip-hop flavor, and attacking mosques in an effort to provoke non-violent Muslims. But are Omar and his partners a legitimate threat to the safety of Great Britain, or just four half-bright twenty-somethings with more bluster than imagination?

I would've posted in the other thread but the fact is that all these characters were so lovable and tragic I wanted to share it with everyone. The film's been out for a while now, so go retrieve it via whatever means possible (the DVD is really cheap in the UK, not sure how it fares in the US currently). It does not disappoint. It does a brilliant job of showing "the other side" of the stereotypical view on extremists.

Using the Neko Emoticons I will demonstrate how I felt from the beginning to the end of the film:

> > > > (you'll have to watch it to see why I felt like dancing near the end) >

Was a perfect mix of questioning, minor shock, then lolz and then a mood whiplash towards the end is what made it good.

[Elcura]

Amazing movie, the way it ended had me in utter shock, but it was hilarious, dark and took be back a few times the whole way through. Pretty sure it's been out for a while here... I remember watching it last year.

RUBBER DINGY RAPIDS!

[Thoronas]

Yeah I didn't know what to make of this movie. It's like the darkest of dark comedies. The explosive expert was hilarious. Agree with Elcura about the ending leaving me in shock.

Edit: I take that back, the white muslim extremist was the funniest.

[The Stig]

Yeh the ending's mood whiplash is precisely what made the film amazing all at the same time. The "Dancing in the Moonlight" song that was played on the way to London tho, that drove your mood straight up/happy - everytime I think of that scene it puts a smile to my face as they're driving along singing, with the white muslim guy's face going "what in the fuck..."-, only for it to be "popped" in gradual climax towards the ill-fated Omar and his cousin.

I was disappointed that they did not address Omar's wife/child at the end, who clear supported them, but the way he said goodbye did make me feel sad temporarily (which got fixed instantly by the scene above). But interesting film all-around.

I am baiting a very close/good (potential wife) female (casual/relaxed) friend of mine to come over for dinner and watch the movie with me for lolz.

[Laugana]

I watched it mainly for Benedict Cumberbatch who played the hapless negotiator at the end, but I was surprised it was actually pretty funny all the way throughout, well, except for the very end, but it couldn't have ended happily in any case, considering the subject matter.