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Wow. Truly, wow. I’m not exactly speechless (that’s a bad thing for a film critic to be), but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film quite like Chris Morris’*** Four Lions. It’s a comedy. That much I know for sure. A political comedy, in a way, but more specifically I suppose, it’s a terrorism comedy. And, needless to say at this point, it’s a pitch-black satire the likes of which we rarely see. I’m certainly not making the comparison, but Four Lions has the balls of a Network, a Dr. Strangelove, and a MASH. Possibly all three films combined. Adjectives like provocative, incendiary, audacious, and shocking come immediately to mind.
Is the world (OK, is America) ready for a broad and witheringly trenchant farce about Al Qaeda aspirants who scheme and bumble their way into blowing up a London “fun run” marathon? A comedy that satirizes young terrorists like *Police Academy *lampooned stupid policemen? A slapstick farce in which suicide bombers are (for lack of a better word) the heroes?? I cannot offer an opinion on that, but I can say that I’m grateful to attend film festivals, which is sometimes the only place to find movies this outrageously “edgy” … yet powerfully intelligent. If Four Lions is not the best film I see at Sundance this year, then that’s good news for me: that means I’ll be seeing something awesome in the next three days.