Trademark Morris wit shines in comedy about terrorism

Four Lions (Cert 15, 97 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, Comedy)

Omar (Riz Ahmed) is a devout Muslim, who is enraged by the West’s treatment of his spiritual brothers and sisters.

He spearheads a terrorist cell in the heart of northern Britain with best friend Waj (Kayvan Novak) and paranoid, white Islamic convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay).

The jihadists debate potential targets for their deadly payload with Faisal (Adell Akhtar), who is training crows to fly through windows carrying primed explosives in their beaks.

Four Lions addresses the thorny subject of terrorism with writer-director Chris Morris’s trademark, scabrous wit.

The script, co-written with Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, portrays the bombers as clumsy, insecure, funny and loyal friends, who are liable to set off the devices before they ever get to the heart of London.

The script wrings belly laughs from the exploits of the central characters, such as Omar accidentally shooting Arabs with a misaligned rocket launcher.

Ahmed plays his pivotal role straight, providing the perfect comic foil to Novak as the dim-witted best friend.

Some viewers will take offence but Morris’s film accomplishes a simple yet vital feat. It disarms the terrorist’s greatest weapon — fear.

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