5 Best British Films Of The Past 20 Years

4. Four Lions

Director: Chris Morris What is it about? Four Lions is about a group of radical young Muslim men from the North of England who see themselves as jihadists in the war against the West. Leader of the group is Omar, an apparently respectable member of society and a loving family man. He is the brains of the group yet in a later scene attempts to justify his actions by using the implied morals of the film The Lion King. Others in the group are Waj, an utterly confused but loveable idiot, Barry, an angry white convert to Islam intent on blowing up mosques and Faisal, a naïve young man who believes bombs strapped to crows are their most effective weapon against the West. After Omar and Waj€™s disastrous trip to a training camp in Pakistan the group are joined by rapper- jihadist Hassan who in one scene fakes blowing himself up in a lecture theatre €“ a stunt he refers to as €˜the gesture that messed ya€™. Omar is reluctant to admit what actually happened in Pakistan and in an attempt to regain control claims that the group have been called upon to become martyrs and strike a blow against their enemies. Why is it great? Terrorism is not new to film yet no major film before Four Lions dared to deal with it through the medium of satire. These terrorists are not callous killers but bumbling buffoons, more of a danger to each other than anyone else. This intelligently thought out and thoroughly researched farce is a breath of fresh air and has the added benefit of being incredibly funny. Yet in the midst of all the comical cock ups there are some very moving and tender moments. In particular Omar€™s relationship with his wife and son are as touching as they are tragic and his relationship with Waj is genuinely heart-warming. These characters are human; they are not the alien terrorists we see in other film or television pieces, they are like us. They are disillusioned, misguided young men who are lost in a world of contradicting ideologies and hate; tragic figures who evoke more sympathy than derision. The best comedies have an underlying tragedy to them and Four Lions finds this balance perfectly; as heart-breaking as it is funny and as tender as it is tragic. Final Thought Satire is one of the best weapons to use against all forms of extremism and for that reason Morris should be applauded. Four Lions is a courageous approach to a controversial subject and should be commended, not condemned. That aside Four Lions is undoubtedly one of the funniest British Films in recent years. http://youtu.be/Ew-SrlQ9tlI