Well, of course, we could, did and have. And not to downplay the horrible, horrible, horrible tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 — not to mention the earlier Murrah Building bombing on our own turf — but with nearly a decade past, not only are we still laughing, but we’ve grown to the point of having an actual terrorist comedy, in the uproarious “Four Lions
The rightfully acclaimed film — named Best First Feature for director/co-writer Chris Morris by the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle — is now available on Blu-ray. It’s so funny, so fulfilling, it’s worth a blind buy.
The title refers to a group of young, fresh-outta-training Jihadists who plot an act of terrorism on British soil. There’s nothing funny about that, except that they are stunningly incompetent. From failed disguises to accidental explosions, they prove practically incapable of executing the simplest move. And it’s all done with a script — seemingly improvised, but more likely just that needle-sharp — loaded with smart, impeccable timing.
Morris’ film has the feel of a documentary, and reminds one of last year’s similarly scoped and structured “In the Loop,” except all around stronger, funnier and better. This is not poking fun at the Muslim religion, but its minute fraction of extremists (akin to Christianity’s abortion-doc bombers/shooters) who embrace misinterpretation on their road to martyrdom.
However rollicking, “Four Lions” has an unexpected heart to it, and a bittersweet end that’s not out of character for the piece. Bonus points: It might actually make you feel more at ease about the world around you. Fear not that you may not recognize anyone in the cast — save maybe Benedict Cumberbatch of BBC/PBS’ recent, splendid “Sherlock” series reboot — because its laughs are so well-placed, so powerful, they emerge as the true star.
Magnolia’s Blu-ray offers some enlightening background interviews (yes, actual research was done about Muslim culture), but more attractively, a handful of deleted scenes. While I can see why most of them were cut, a couple are gems, including a bit about disembodied legs ascending to paradise. —Rod Lott
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2011.