THE DAY SHALL COME
Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks, Denis O’Hare, Pej Vahdat
It’s been nine years since Chris Morris made his film directing debut with the thrillingly risky, line- crossing jihadist comedy Four Lions. You’d think certain global political, errr, developments would have given one of Britain’s foremost satirists a wealth of material to work with in the interim. However, this belated comeback film from the Brass Eye creator comes as something of a disappointment. It’s ambitious, yes, and bristling with substantial ideas, but neither quite as funny nor quite as punchy as you’d expect. Newcomer Marchánt Davis impresses as an idealistic Miami community activist railing against urban gentrification, while Anna Kendrick is the devious FBI agent who exploits his cause to make him look like a terrorist. It’s “based on a hundred true stories,” say the credits, but Morris’ writing doesn’t entirely hit home. 11 October