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Four Lions (out 30 August 10, Cert. 15) Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Adeel Akhtar , directed by Chris Morris, 2010, cert. 15
Monkey Score: 86%
In a British city, four men have a secret plan. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is disillusioned about the treatment of muslims around the world and is determined to become a soldier. This is the most exciting idea Waj (Kayvan Novak) has ever heard. Better still it’s a no brainer because Omar does his thinking for him. Opposed to Omar and everyone else on earth is the white islamic convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay). He’d realize he joined the cell to channel his nihilism - If he had half the self knowledge of a duck. Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) is the odd man out. He can make a bomb – but he can’t blow himself up just now coz his sick dad has “started eating newspaper”. Instead he’s training crows to fly bombs through windows. This is what Omar has to deal with. They must strike a decisive blow on their own turf but can any of them strike a match without punching himself in the face?
With Four Lions Chris Morris manages to create a genuinely funny comedy based on a tricky subject matter. Whether it does for the British Jihad what Spinal Tap achieved for heavy metal remains to be seen, however. One hope that British muslims see humour in this moving portrait of four men, whose main purpose in life and death is to do Allah's work - albeit in a slightly misguided way. Four Lions shows terrorism seen from the perspective of four wannabe terrorists, and by giving them ordinary lives and personalities brings humanity to their cause. It doesn't make an apology for violence, nor does it condone it: director Chris Morris gives a face to disillusioned men whose only source of hope is their religious beliefs. While Morris liberally pokes fun at the four men, exposing their bigotry and limited brain power, he never makes the audience feel voyeuristic. When simpleton Waj (played superbly by Kayvan Novak) admits 'yeah, I know, I'm thick as fudge' one realises that he may indeed have the IQ of a courgette, but he's aware of it enough to realise that the Jihad offers him a chance at making a contribution. Like most things in life the laughs in Four Lions aren't free: as the Lions face the consequences of their actions, the audience are left with serious questions. Beyond the farce, one must look at what factors may drive young British muslims to feel so excluded from society that they see no other route than violence to get heard and respected. Food for thoughts indeed. Four Lions is one of those rare cinematic gems that manage to generate side-splitting laughs without mocking its main characters. Indeed, the Four Lions are so human that you may never think of terrorism in quite the same way. |
Hot Tub Time Machine (out 30 August 10, Cert. 15) John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase, directed by Steve Pink, 2010, cert. 15
Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend and Nick’s (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move. When their friend Lou (Rob Corddry) reaches rock bottom after one drinking binge too many, the trio head to the ski resort where they spent their most momentous holidays together. Adam's video-obsessed nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) is dragged along for the ride. After a crazy night of drinking in the suite's hot tub, the men wake up, heads pounding, in the year 1986.
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Cemetery Junction (out 30 August 10, Cert. 15) Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes, Jack Doolan, Matthew Goode, Ricky Gervais, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Felicity Jones, written and directed by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, 2010, cert. 15
70s' England is in full swing as three outcast friends find themselves drinking, joking, fighting and chasing girls, while dreaming of escape from their blue-collar hometown of Cemetery Junction. Freddie (Christian Cooke) is desperate to get places, and leaves factory work behind to become an insurance salesman. He gains the attention of his boss, Mr. Kendrick (Ralph Fiennes), and is torn between a prior life of partying with his friends (Tom Hughes and Jack Doolan) and the promise of a brighter future. As if things weren't complicated enough for him, Freddie soon falls for Julie Kendrick, his boss's daughter, who is also engaged to be married.
Making a sleepy Reading interesting is akin to a miracle, yet this is exactly what Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais have pulled off in Cemetery Junction. The film is losely based on Gervais experiences as a youngster growing up in Reading, and features an array of expertly formed characters, from loser Snork, played by Jack Doolan (The Green Green Grass), to rebel without a cause Bruce (Tom Hughes) and driven Freddie (Christian Cooke.) Doolan just about steals every scene he appears in, while Tom Hughes and Christian Cooke (last seen in Trinity and opposite Philip Glenister in Demons) are perfectly cast. While not the all-out comedy that one might have expected from the team behind The Office, Cemetery Junction is very, very funny. It is most exciting to see that Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais can write and direct a feature that flows and works as well as the cult TV series they created. One only hopes that this is the first of many as comedy uber-do Merchant/Gervais delivers a very funny yet thoughtful and moving film. .
When You're Strange (out 30 August 10, Cert. 15) With Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison, John Densmore and Robby Krieger, narrated by Johnny Depp, directetd by Tom DiCillo, 2009, exempt from classification Monkey Score: TBC% Using only original footage shot between 1966 and 1971 – both unreleased and rarely seen, When You’re Strange opens a window into the band’s world of fame and drugs but always returns to their fierce commitment to their music. Though Jim Morrison’s struggles and excesses shape the film, this is the story of Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore; musicians whose insistence on artistic freedom and refusal to compromise inspired generations. Narrayed by Johnny Depp, the film offers a glimpse into one of the most acclaimed rock bands and breaks on through to the world behind The Doors.
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