By Jason Apuzzo. As regular LFM readers know, we loved Chris Morris’ striking new comedy about Islamic terrorism, Four Lions (see our glowing Libertas review from when the film unspooled at The LA Film Festival).
Four Lions is currently playing at the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), and a reviewer for Aint It Cool News had this high praise for it:
The day ended with one of my most highly-anticipated films of MIFF, Chris Morris’s FOUR LIONS. There are so many comedians who operate under the assumption that they are “edgy” because they make lots of forced references to things they think are taboo. Chris Morris is one of the few who actually is, shining a sharp, satirical spotlight on our own hypocrisies.
FOUR LIONS, his first film as director and co-writer, is possibly the bravest skewering of cultural mores since LIFE OF BRIAN. When comedy shows or films proudly proclaim they have no political correctness, it usually means they like making fun of a politician’s obesity. FOUR LIONS genuinely discards political correctness, but in an exceptionally smart way, not allowing a single likable character, refusing to present anyone who (a) plays into our own comfortable stereotyped beliefs, or (b) allaying any white or middle-class guilt by having a “Good Muslim” or a “White Politician Who Actually Does Get It”. There are no safe havens in this film, and this — the story of four suicide bombers trying to attack a London target — is all the better for it. I probably missed about 50% of the jokes because I was laughing at the other ones, which is simply an excuse to see it again.
I don’t mind calling it early: FOUR LIONS is the comedy of the year.
We heartily agree. Do whatever you can to see this film. Unfortunately one of the things you won’t be able to do is see it in an American theater, because no company has picked it up for distribution here – even though it was a box office hit in the UK, won the audience award at the LA Film Festival, and was even a hit at Sundance. And this is shameful, because this is an extraordinary film that people should be given the chance to see.
We will continue to bang the drum for this film here at LFM until it gets its American release.
Posted on August 2nd, 2010 at 12:46pm.
Cool that this is getting such great buzz but I agree that it’s strange that this still has no US release. I saw this and thought it was awesome. It had a “take no prisoners” attitude that showed respect for the audience’s intelligence. It didn’t dumb things down or pander to anyone.
If this doesn’t get picked up for distribution then we’ll really know that the fix is in.
I cannot believe this hasn’t gotten picked up. From what i see you have righties and lefties saying this is great – but Hollywood is too afraid to distribute it? It made money in UK and got awards here and it’s still sitting on the shelf?? Pathetic liberal weasels who won’t distribute this have no trouble with all kinds of other crap that offends normal Americans all day long – but this is too dangerous for them because it goes after terrorists?!
Thanks for your comments, Classic. My sense is that the game is not yet over for this film, distribution-wise. But the wait on this is certainly frustrating – and, one suspects, the result of the most abject sort of cowardice on the part of distributors.
What’s so silly about all this is that the film is already being distributing in the UK and is already making great money.
The industry will never support this because they don’t want to look like the chickensh*ts they are.
We’ll see. It’s not over yet.