The Devil's Double (2011)

No two ways about it, there is nothing exciting on show...absolutely nothing. It's not thrilling, it's not funny and it's not dramatic. So what's the point? Based on the true story of Latif who is chosen to be the body double of Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. Obviously, Latif does not have a choice and so he is forced to adjust to a lavish lifestyle of sex, money and power. Problem is, director Lee Tamahori really didn't fully showcase this to its maximum potential. Everything felt restrained and all too familiar. However, there were glimpses of the effects of tyranny. A rather depressing example was when Uday raped a bride in which shortly after she then committed suicide...on her wedding day. That's powerful and the shocking imagery will probably leave you terrified. That's the only time where this 'unlimited' power is fully demonstrated. Several night club scenes where we listen to 80's dance music (including Spin Me Right Round...always a classic), see naked people dance and wave some golden AK47's in the air. It's a lavish lifestyle, yes...but it's never used to enhance the story. It's just an environment to try and shock us. Dominic Cooper is the saviour, his dual performance as both Latif and Uday was electric and refreshing. A rather underrated performance of his. The supporting cast? Forgettable. Instantly. Fortunately the central performance was enough to keep me awake. Tamahori's direction was fine, nothing outstanding but he did the job well. Some of the gory scenes were a tad excessive but does highlight one point: "Don't make Uday angry, and always do what he says". Scenes where he attempts to pick up young girls for sex were unnecessary. Show it once, fine. Show it three times, not fine. We get it, Uday was an awful guy. If the scene wasn't powerful enough first time around, it's not going to be for the third time. The film is fine, it's functional and there are much worse films available. Dominic Cooper was excellent and just about saved an uninteresting film from being bad.

Based on an (allegedly) true story, Lee Tamahori's "The Devils Double" is a slick and stylish production, featuring an well crafted dual performance by Dominic Cooper, portraying both Uday: the sociopathic, hedonistic son of Saddam Hussein, and as Latif Yahia: the Iraqi soldier forced to become his body double. The film, however, feels like something of a missed opportunity, and that the end result, whist an entertaining film, is somewhat less than the sum of its parts and feels like merely a good film, rather than the potentially great one it could have been.Cooper's performance as Uday and his titular double is undoubtedly the highlight of the film. As Uday, Cooper allows himself to practically devour the scenery, portraying the dictator's son as a nightmarish cross between Caligula and Tony Montana, raping and murdering with selfish aplomb. Cooper clearly has fun as the monstrous Uday, although according to various sources, the real Uday was far more vicious then Cooper's portrayal. This reflects more on the film's style and direction then Cooper himself, as I felt with a more realistic, grittier take on the material; Cooper's performance could have been as iconic as Pacino's. His second role as Latif: increasingly horrified and disgusted with Uday's excesses, is considerably more understated and at times, can feel a little underdeveloped, compared to Uday's flamboyancy. Ultimately, Latif feels more like a stock character, a mob underling in over his head with a psychotic kingpin, rather than the films emotional core.The cast is rounded out by Ludivine Sagnier as Sarrab, Uday's concubine and later Latif's lover, Raad Rawi as Munem, Uday's stoic and long suffering security chief, Mem Ferda as Kamel Hannah, a "twittering little pimp" who insults Uday and pays dearly for it and musical theatre veteran, Philip Quast, as Saddam Hussein, Iraq's dictator and Uday's disapproving father.Out of the supporting cast, Rawi and Quast, are the standouts, with Rawi's body guard, imbued with quiet dignity and subtle authority, clearly fed up with having to look after his psychotic charge and yet unable to do anything about it. One scene, has Latif and Munem discussing Uday's utter insanity, the subtle look on Rawi's face as Latif tells him that "He's a good man in a bad job" sells his characters frustration without saying anything. Quast's Saddam, despite his brief appearances, radiates authority and his scenes, opposite his arrant son, are filled with a deep sense of tension. Sagnier is, however, the weakest link in the supporting cast, playing a typical femme fatale role as Uday's kept woman. Sagnier gives a rather wooden, dispassionate performance and her chemistry with Cooper is lacking.The films slickness and stylish look both help and hinder the films tone. The visual look of the film is slick and glossy, giving it a gaudy, sensationalised appearance. In a way, this helps the film's narrative, given that the majority of the films scene's happen in the luxurious palaces, homes and nightclubs frequented by Uday and his entourage, places considerably different from where the average Iraqi lived, highlighting the extravagant, hedonistic lives that the ruling family lived. On the downside, the gloss makes the film feel like a generic gangster movie which isn't helped by the other genre trappings (The violent sociopath, the femme fatales, the reluctant henchman) the film displays throughout. I think with a grittier, more realistic take on the story (Perhaps similar to Tamahori's 1994 breakout "Once Were Warriors, depicting violence in the Maori community), the film could have been better, but with the films style clashing slightly with the story, the result is the film feeling rather disjointed.Overall, I would say "The Devils Double", whist far from a great movie, is not by default a bad movie either. Cooper's performance as Uday is enjoyable to watch, in the same way Pacino is "enjoyable" in "Scarface, or Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas". The films garnish visual tone, however cheapens the film into feeling like a generic thriller. Ultimately,it is a disappointment that what could have been a gritty, brutal take on one of the vilest and cruellest figures of Saddam's Iraq, is watered down into an entertaining, albeit somewhat forgettable, gangster film.

How dumb am I #1: I waited for the credits to find out who played Uday - great performance. Then I saw it was the same actor as Latif. OMG! Amazing.How dumb am I #2: I thought this was a true story, so in the final scenes in Malta and the bazaar I was thinking "unlikely, but such is life".It's a good thriller and character study. Uday is like Caligula, but Latif is a bit dull. The girlfriend seemed a bit random, especially in the end. And the sex and violence should have been more explicit - instead it's quite tasteful.Loved the music all the way through.Overall I think this is a bit simple, because it should have had more interesting things to say on identity and used the doubleness to explore the story.

The Devil's Double. Based on the book written by a soldier who was forced to become Saddam Hussain's son's double in the times of America - Iraq war over Kuwait. The movie gives you good insight into the spoiled son's lavish and insane life and how his double, our hero never finds himself ready to lead his kind of life. An earthy Dominic Cooper plays both parts effortlessly. As Saddam's son Uday, he makes you hate him and as the double Latif he make you care for him with ease. As a bonus, you get to see Saddam Hussain's character playing some key scenes which leaves you wanting for more. Being based on a real story, however movie gets a bit melodramatic at moments but drama and performances keep you engaged. I am going with good 7 out of 10 for The Devil's Double. Movie never tries to go into the deep of war times but makes an engaging watch over playing a devil's double.