"The Dictator", inoffensive political parody

The Dictator

Probably the worse thing that can happen to a comedy is not that it doesn't make you laugh (probably the person next to you will be falling off his knees, laughter is a subjective issue). The worst is that you just don't care about it after the first ten minutes, and since then passes unnoticed. Unfortunately, that's what happened to me while watching "The Dictator".

It's quite sad, because the premise was promising. The idea of Sacha Baron Cohen playing the role of a very stupid, crazy, cartoon tyrant ruling the imaginary state of Wadiya, becoming a major concern for international community, who threatens his reign of terror, had potential. Cohen's ability to push the limits with his gags, and the political background of the film was an attractive combination. In principle.

I was hoping for a mix between "Four Lions" and "Borat" (both unbalanced films, but also brave and interesting). But you don't need many minutes to realise that "The Dictator" is nowhere near both films. General Admiral Haffaz Aladeen could have been an hilarious new incarnation for the British irreverent comedian, but it doesn't have a proper script to shine or develop. Director Larry Charles develops a lame story, including some pretty ridiculous situations (some involving such an actor like Ben Kingsley, completely lost in the film) and a quite embarrassing love story, in which Cohen's tries to introduce his gags. But the slapdash style works in very few occasions, and the whole Brooklyn's organic-vegan-multicultural food store (Anna Faris' role is incredibly shallow) is annoying. All in all, it harms what should have been the main focus of the film, the political parody, which looks inoffensive, patronised, too planned and predictable... and not very funny. As, I said, very far from the radicality of "Four Lions", or the funniest moments of "Borat".

With the exceptions of a couple of gags and half of Aladeen's final speech (there's a glimpse of brilliance there, before it quickly goes back to the "mundane"), "The Dictator" keeps going with fluidity, but nothing to remark. Or laugh about it.

SCORE: 4/10

"Four Lions", brave but unsatisfactory satire

Four Lions

"You are not angry with people when you laugh at them. Humor teaches them tolerance."

William Somerset Maugham

The issue "Four Lions" addresses is no joke: terrorism. But director and satirist Chris Morris wants to show that there's no subject that can escape humour, even the, at least in principle, most appalling situations. It's a risky move, that has to praised by its braveness. The concept of black comedy reaches a new dimension with this film.

The plot is simple: the preparations of a terrorist cell in the UK as they plan a suicide bombing attack. But an unconventional one, light-years from what we have in mind when we think of terrorists. Our four lions are supposedly normal Asian people living in the suburbs, who are essentially (and laughably) inept, at times impossibly stupid, in their quest for their horrible goal, allowing us to see a ludicrous amount of absurd situations.

"Four Lions" is thought-provoking because it achieves something remarkable. While it builds a farce, it creates an empathy with the four ridiculous characters. They are not brutal, ruthless monsters, but really funny and naive people that have it all wrong, in their head, with the teachings they have received or "absorbed". That is, probably, a bigger and deeper lesson than many "high-level" resolutions addressed to counter international terrorism.

In the mockery of this shoddy terrorists and their aim to martyrdom the movie, despite unbalanced, has many moments of pure and hilarious delirium. The comparison with Monty Python's humour style is quite appropriate as "Four Lions" uses a sketch-based conceit. Prepare yourself to laugh, with some situations (involving Bin Laden, animals or videos) laughter is guaranteed.

But that sketch structure also hurts the film. There's a serious lack of continuity on it, and the more the film advances, the more one has the feeling we are moving from gag to gag. I seriously doubt "Four Lions" works as whole. It is disjointed, with several scenes that seem pointless and a few others that look redundant.

My other doubt has to do with the "serious" scenes (can mention at least a couple that won't spoil but are really obvious) and the tone of the end, that is a huge change from the overall satire we were seeing. Are they done on purpose? Did Morris wants to leave a message? If so, why is he omitting the motivations (or the origin) that brought our silly terrorist to act that way? Really strange.

Overall, "Four Lions" is a true rarity. For the good, being brave, radical, and at times, very funny, but also the bad, being unbalanced and unsatisfactory.

"In the end, everything is a gag."

Charlie Chaplin

SCORE: 5,5/10