Four Lions
Out of context: Reply #6
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- lukus_W0
Well - here's my take:
It's a likeable, slightly half-baked 'message' film, which is exceedingly keen to _not_ be seen as a message-based film. What that message is, is perhaps anyone's guess ;)
I think a lot of the performances were quite good - there were some genuinely likeable characters and some pretty funny moments, but a lot of the banter felt drawn out and extraneous.
I imagine the director wanted spontaneity and didn't want the dialogue to seem scripted - and so, let the camera roll while characters engaged in banter .. but, imo, a more ferocious hand at the cutting table would have been welcomed.
I can see the point in producing a film which shows home-grown terrorism in a new light, and I can see the potential hilarity involved in creating uncomfortable dissonance and contrasting it with ridiculous situations - but I don't think that the idea worked half as well as some of Chris Morris's finer works.
I think Mr Morris excels in observational humour, with a slightly bitter / caustic twist. Maybe he - or me, as an audience member - hasn't had enough exposure to the home-grown terrorism scene to be able to pull off the same level of comedy in this film.
In a way the style of comedy reminded me a bit of Last of the Summer Wine - bumbling group of guys, engaged in feckless pursuits orchestrated by slightly less bumbling ring leaders. It felt a bit dated.
I think it could have been pretty amazing - if the project aim was mostly conceptual, it needed something else to contrast against the lackadaisical humour. If he wanted to tell a good story, it needed to be character driven. I don't think the motivation of any of the characters drove this film.
It felt like there was a schedule set before writing had begun - it's as if the writers asked themselves "we need to visit A, B, C, D and E in this script ... how are we going to connect the dots". I think this is the wrong way to write a screenplay.
I just scrolled up, and realised that I sound quite down about the film .. it wasn't awful - I guess like yr mates detritus, I had higher hopes.
The actor who plays Omar is incredibly handsome - so that was plus.