Four Lions
A bloody farce
I was reminded of statistic that 3/4 of terrorist attacks in Northern Ireland failed, before they could be carried out.
Three British born Muslims, of Pakistani stock. In an Northern town somewhere in England. Along with an older English convert dream of Jihad. Omar the leader of the gang. Married to a Nurse, and working the night shift as a security guard. Dreams of going to Pakistan to join the struggle
One day Omar gets his e-mail from Pakistan, from his uncle. ( The e-mail address is Hilary Clinton 555. I wondered if this was a joke)
The convert refers to the British security services as the feds.
The MP, at a public meeting, cowers behind his desk, when a guy fakes a suicide bombing
One of the would be bombers, rails against the Teacher who failed him at Media studies. 3 of the bombers sing along to Toploader, on the drive down to London. There is a scene when Omar tries to obtain a phone to call his friend urgently, and can’t because the sales staff insist on spelling out the pro’s and con’s of particular contracts. The workaday world of British life is here. The British convert has an Allotment. When one of the would be martyrs listens to Omar’s rant about Mcdonald’s and western imperialism. His brother in arms talks about the better deal to be had, in a local kebab shop
Have our bombers picked up that very English virtue when they argue with the locals in the mountains of Pakistan, that Mecca, is East. It was a pity they didn’t just repeat what they said, louder and louder…
The gang of would be bombers is a power struggle between Omar, and Barry the convert. There is also the question of the bombers motives. Several struggle with the roles as martyrs. Omar is aware that his efforts to stiffen his friends resolve, may be
The film, misses a point, with Omar. Omar has a wife. A house and a son. Two incomes. He seems to be much better off and perhaps slightly older than his comrades. So why does he want to kill himself. His brother does not share his views. Making the convert obnoxious does not change this. Yes the British state is heavy handed and often idiotic. Yet Omar, still wants to be a martyr.
The film feels no or sees no reason to challenge this
Omar explains his deeds, to his sons by using the plot of the Lion king,
There are digs, at rendition. The shooting of Juan Carlos de Menzies. The UK’s surveilliance culture. The hero, or anti hero of the peace. Is indeed, one of the watchmen.
The Real IRA and Fathers for Justice both get name checked.
Omar has a more pious and peaceful brother. There is a scene where the brothers prayer group are playing football in the park, in the rain, with their umbrellas. They could be a group of nuns.
Curiously for a British film, and despite it’s light heartedness, and subject matter. It does do religion well. At the training camp, Omar motivates his friend into action by calling on his faith. Omar is driven to act by his young son and his wife, calls for him to look inside his heart.
I note this in contrast to a recent episode of Doctor Who, in which one of the leads was praying to Santa
I was reminded of statistic that 3/4 of terrorist attacks in Northern Ireland failed, before they could be carried out.
Three British born Muslims, of Pakistani stock. In an Northern town somewhere in England. Along with an older English convert dream of Jihad. Omar the leader of the gang. Married to a Nurse, and working the night shift as a security guard. Dreams of going to Pakistan to join the struggle
One day Omar gets his e-mail from Pakistan, from his uncle. ( The e-mail address is Hilary Clinton 555. I wondered if this was a joke)
The convert refers to the British security services as the feds.
The MP, at a public meeting, cowers behind his desk, when a guy fakes a suicide bombing
One of the would be bombers, rails against the Teacher who failed him at Media studies. 3 of the bombers sing along to Toploader, on the drive down to London. There is a scene when Omar tries to obtain a phone to call his friend urgently, and can’t because the sales staff insist on spelling out the pro’s and con’s of particular contracts. The workaday world of British life is here. The British convert has an Allotment. When one of the would be martyrs listens to Omar’s rant about Mcdonald’s and western imperialism. His brother in arms talks about the better deal to be had, in a local kebab shop
Have our bombers picked up that very English virtue when they argue with the locals in the mountains of Pakistan, that Mecca, is East. It was a pity they didn’t just repeat what they said, louder and louder…
The gang of would be bombers is a power struggle between Omar, and Barry the convert. There is also the question of the bombers motives. Several struggle with the roles as martyrs. Omar is aware that his efforts to stiffen his friends resolve, may be
The film, misses a point, with Omar. Omar has a wife. A house and a son. Two incomes. He seems to be much better off and perhaps slightly older than his comrades. So why does he want to kill himself. His brother does not share his views. Making the convert obnoxious does not change this. Yes the British state is heavy handed and often idiotic. Yet Omar, still wants to be a martyr.
The film feels no or sees no reason to challenge this
Omar explains his deeds, to his sons by using the plot of the Lion king,
There are digs, at rendition. The shooting of Juan Carlos de Menzies. The UK’s surveilliance culture. The hero, or anti hero of the peace. Is indeed, one of the watchmen.
The Real IRA and Fathers for Justice both get name checked.
Omar has a more pious and peaceful brother. There is a scene where the brothers prayer group are playing football in the park, in the rain, with their umbrellas. They could be a group of nuns.
Curiously for a British film, and despite it’s light heartedness, and subject matter. It does do religion well. At the training camp, Omar motivates his friend into action by calling on his faith. Omar is driven to act by his young son and his wife, calls for him to look inside his heart.
I note this in contrast to a recent episode of Doctor Who, in which one of the leads was praying to Santa
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