By Jason Apuzzo. Aint It Cool News raves over Chris Morris’ Four Lions today. Here’s the money quote:
FOUR LIONS recalls the fearlessness of Ernst Lubitsch’s TO BE OR NOT TO BE, which made light of the Nazis before the tide of World War II had turned in favor of the Allies. But while Lubitsch’s film was castigated for being way too soon at the time (it hit theaters a scant three months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and, coincidentally, two months after the tragic death of its star, Carol Lombard), Morris’s ingeniously scabrous satire feels long overdue.
This extraordinarily courageous and funny film opens Friday in select theaters, at which point I’ll be reposting my review of it.
[UPDATE: Here’s a lengthy new interview with the film’s director, Chris Morris.]
[UPDATE #2: I’ve also embedded another interesting interview with Morris below.]
[UPDATE #3: Chris Morris talks to The Wall Street Journal here.]
Posted on November 2nd, 2010 at 2:47pm.
I’m glad ‘Mr Beaks’ (real name Clarence Beaks) reviewed it first because he’s one of the very few articulate reviewers on the site as well as being a liberal/leftie. His rave could sway other liberals who’d be wary of watching a movie praised by conservatives. My favourite quote from his review is this one:
“The only person keeping Barry in check is Omar (Riz Ahmed), the brains of the outfit, and a devoted family man whose wife and young son support his dreams of martyrdom like he’s a struggling musician trying to drag his misfit rock band to the big time.”
That’s EXACTLY how it was, only I couldn’t find the words to describe it.
Yes, the internal dynamic in that family – particularly with respect to the wife, and her support of her husband – is really the most interesting and, in my opinion, the most perverse and sardonic aspect of the film. I was actually reminded there of Claude Rains’ Nazi mother in Notorious.
Jason, a stopped clock is right twice a day. Even Aint It Cool News is bound to get it right ever now and then.
True …
It’s interesting that Morris mentioned Ramzi Yousef and the’93 WTC bombing – there was a pretty good TV movie, Path to Paradise, which highlighted the farcical aspects of the plot without turning the whole thing into a joke. I actually bought my copy at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center back in 2009.
Interesting … thanks for bringing that up.