Shot in the same style as In the Loop, Four Lions is about a group of British jihadists led by Omar (Riz Ahmed). Although they start out with small stuff (mostly home videos sitting in front of the camera with a very small AK47 replica) their plans start to take a more serious turn after Omar gets an email from his uncle telling him to come to Pakistan. Omar, along with his best friend Waj (Kayvan Novak) join up with a terrorist training camp and end up making fools of themselves before being sent back to England. While they were gone, Barry (Nigel Lindsay) recruits the Hassan (Arsher Ali) to join their group and starts to make plans to bomb a mosque. When Omar and Waj return, Omar (with new found authority) disagrees with Barry's plan. After a few more mishaps, they finally decide to bomb the London Marathon. Needless to say, the last thirty minutes or so are completely ridiculous.
The acting was great. It felt authentic and the actors had such chemistry that I sometimes wonder how much of what they were saying was actually scripted. They used a variety of different camera techniques to keep the story alive and create more dynamic visuals for the viewer. Although there were a few out of focus shots, it went along with the editing and different formats to make sense for the viewer.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started watching this film (since it was another request -- keep them coming!!) and even though it was a rather taboo subject, it was done with such grace that I actually found myself liking this group. They were like lovable losers. And in movies, everyone loves a loser.
Rating: ****
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