Rating of
4/4
An Irreverent, But Important Film
mitchellyoung - wrote on 01/12/12
To appreciate this film, I think you have to a.) be able to get beyond the fact that the whole film is about the controversial subject of terrorism and b.) have a rudimentary understanding of Muslim ideology and American politics. The film brilliantly serves as a farce on how Americans view Muslims, how Muslims view Muslims, and how the American government views Muslims. It is out of these conflicting ideologies that the film pulls some strong absurdist and dark comedy, but also some poignant themes. Laughter is sometimes the best medicine for understanding painful subjects at it is from the dark side of terrorism, that Four Lions picks apart its subjects in ways that are both funny and thought-provoking. The underlying theme of Four Lions is the brainwashing methods of jihadist beliefs and the effects on everyday Muslims, but it is presented in a very unique and refreshing perspective. If funny films could not be made about difficult subjects, movies like Dr. Strangelove &, more recently, 50/50 would not exist.
