Four Lions

I don't know whether it was deliberate. If it was intentional, then it was bold piece of scheduling which led Channel 4 to broadcast the film 'Four lions' just a week or so before the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

In case you've not seen it or heard anything about the film, it's a satirical look at the world of radical Islam and suicide bombers. That bare description may be enough to put you off - you might feel that there are some subjects which are too important or too raw to be treated as a source of comedy.

It's a fair point - comedians and film makers have to walk a very fine line at times - for me, someone like Frankie Boyle often seems to overstep the mark, descending in to the area of cheap laughs and being shocking for the sake of it. But underlying those attitudes and actions which are destructive and seem to merit the label 'evil', there is often a distorted way of viewing the world. Terrorism is usually 'justified' by some grand ideology - and yet the motivation of the individuals involved is often much more banal and petty. Satire has the potential for stripping away the grand pretensions and revealing the truth - rather like the Wizard of Oz, who turns out to be a little man with a load of special effects.

'Four lions' does this very well, as it traces the story of 5 men, who conspire to bring terror to the streets. The problem is that they're all more or less incompetent, which is the source of much of the (rather dark) humour. There are a number of scenes which made me laugh out loud (which may say something about my sense of humour!). Yet, in the end, the film was much more than entertainment. It was also quite moving, with some poignant scenes. I'll remember a number of the set-piece comedic moments - but the overwhelming feeling at the end was one of sadness at the waste of life.

Of course, it's easy to laugh at others, those who are different. Which is why films like 'Four lions' run the risk of being perceived as racist, reinforcing stereotypes of Muslim men living in northern England. Perhaps one of the most important things we can we do in this divided world is to learn to laugh at ourselves.