You won't be disappointed!

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Based on the true story of an Iraqi soldier forced to become a body double for Saddam Hussein's son during the late 1980s, 'The Devil's Double' is a sobering look at a man forced to look on in a world where absolute power corrupts absolutely. As he watches Saddam's son commit increasingly violent atrocities, he soon finds it hard to just sit idly by and the film is capped off by a gripping final twenty minutes of catharsis along these lines. Candid an insight as the film provides, it is a tad uneven. More focus on the soldier's loss of identity may have helped, but the biggest issue is the casting of Dominic Cooper in both roles. It is an impressive performance in that whenever he opens his mouth, it feels as if we are watching two very different persons. The fact that both look identical though makes it hard to keep track of who is who (at least until Cooper talks). This is somewhat fitting given how often the supporting characters confuse the pair, but it also makes it a tad hard to get emotionally invested with only ever scattered opportunities to get under the soldier's skin. As alluded to though, the proceedings culminate in some highly memorable moments and the film shows the son's cruelty in admirably graphic ways. This might not be the most pleasant film to watch, but it is frequently gripping even if one does sometimes confuse just which character Cooper is at times.

Reviewed May 2012It neither has the subtlety nor the attention to detail one might expect of a biopic and runs along as a thrill ride concocted from the mind of some over-the-top fiction writer where the focus is more on the sleazy and gory details than the emotional side of its characters. But the last word is that it entertains. Uday Saddam Hussein (Dominic Cooper) needs no introduction as his reputation is well documented. What this movie intends to show is the perspective of his Fiday (body double), Latif Yahia (also played by Dominic Cooper). In the monarchical Iraq where eccentric Uday has no bounds to his sadistic ways, Latif a soldier of the Republican Guard is identified and offered a position as his body double without a choice. Uday and his team introduces Latif to an ultra luxurious lifestyle with quite a few tight strings attached. Latif is forbidden to contact his family and soon grows tired of Uday's antics and atrocities. All along, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier) a mistress Uday is quite fond of gets close to Latif and both dreams of life free from Uday's clutches. One day, Latif thinks enough is enough and does the unthinkable and the consequences are supposed to be history. The script definitely would have taken the liberty of manipulating quite a few facts for dramatic or commercial or fill-in-the-blank purposes and anyone watching the movie for historical accuracy may get disappointed. Where it succeeds is the flamboyance with which Dominic Cooper portrays the eccentric Uday Hussein and the same measured held back performance while playing Latif. Also it induces quite a few comic touches and add in a lot of nudity, vulgarity and gore the elements that are closely associated with Uday and they are the same elements that makes a product commercially viable too. No major incident reported in the history is handled with the gravity of its impact instead takes the spectacle route. Certain facts are contrived and some emotions are just laughable for a biopic, but hey who knows what was cooking in Uday's mind, he might have reacted in the exact same way. Uday was shown mostly as an immature, mindless nut with a lot of comic histrionics and unpredictable temper. There is a pattern here as I have seen a BBC biography on Uday which is handled in the exact same way as this movie, a contrast with the rest of their work. Having said all that, what finally mattered was its ability to grab my attention by bribing me with guilty fun. Do not watch it for serious cinema, there is a lighter side to the worst of elements.

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.

Director Lee Tamahori Usually makes Watchable, if Unremarkable, Action Movies. Here His Excessive Visual Style is Well Defined Decadence and Adds to the Remarkable Dual Performance from Dominic Cooper. This is a Highly Fictionalized but Totally Realized Character Study of the Infamous Son of Saddam Hussein and His Handpicked Double.The Director says in an Interview that We Mostly Made Stuff Up. That means Details not History. By All Accounts the Debauchery and Sadism Portrayed in Ultra-Violent Hollywood isms is Absolutely Accurate. It is not a Pretty Picture. But this IS a Pretty Picture because Uday's Unlimited Money can Buy a lot of Pretty Things and they are All on Display with a Production Design that is Gaudy and Beautiful.The Fact that this is Basically a True Story of a Monster and not a Fiction like Tony Montana make this all the more Disturbing. In the End the Film Cuts Both Ways. The Movie Plays Out in an Entertaining Gangster Film Way, but at the Same Time Hits at a Gut Level that is Queasy. But in Cathartic Cinema it does its Job by Unleashing a Comeuppance that is Justified and Satisfaction is Delivered.