Time for Dominic Cooper to step up
the plate to be the leading man in a movie, and instead of choosing yet another
of his nice romantic guys roles he elects to play one of the most horrible men
of the last few decades Uday Hussein, son of the Iraqi dictator. And if that is not enough he also plays Latif
the poor stooge who has been forcibly entrapped to act as his double for public
appearances.
Based on a true story of how Uday
demanded that his former schoolmate be surgically altered so that their close physically
resemblance was enhanced so that he could be passed off as his surrogate, Latif
finds himself forced to witness Uday’s vile behavior at close quarters as he indulged himself in
kidnapping schoolgirls, rape and torture. Even Uday’s
father’s inner circle, no angels themselves, reviled and feared this violent
and uncontrollable man.
demanded that his former schoolmate be surgically altered so that their close physically
resemblance was enhanced so that he could be passed off as his surrogate, Latif
finds himself forced to witness Uday’s vile behavior at close quarters as he indulged himself in
kidnapping schoolgirls, rape and torture. Even Uday’s
father’s inner circle, no angels themselves, reviled and feared this violent
and uncontrollable man.
It is a fascinating and very scary look at close quarters
at this dangerous clownish figure so full of himself that Mr. Cooper plays with
a high squeaky girlish voice and foppish camp mannerisms which are hard to equate
with the actions of this sadistic psychopath.
It’s much a story of excessive violence and sex than a comment on the
political situation, and to make it more palatable as a movie, there is romance
too when Latif falls for one of Uday’s mistresses who turns out to be a good
girl after all. She’s very convincingly played by the very beautiful and sexy French actress
Ludivine
Sagnier
at this dangerous clownish figure so full of himself that Mr. Cooper plays with
a high squeaky girlish voice and foppish camp mannerisms which are hard to equate
with the actions of this sadistic psychopath.
It’s much a story of excessive violence and sex than a comment on the
political situation, and to make it more palatable as a movie, there is romance
too when Latif falls for one of Uday’s mistresses who turns out to be a good
girl after all. She’s very convincingly played by the very beautiful and sexy French actress
Ludivine
Sagnier
Mr Cooper’s Latif is subtle and
understated and he avoids all the traps of working too hard to ensure that the differences in how he plays the two
roles is so exaggerated in case we are confused. It’s a very mature performance all around.
understated and he avoids all the traps of working too hard to ensure that the differences in how he plays the two
roles is so exaggerated in case we are confused. It’s a very mature performance all around.
Hated the man and all of his unspeakable
atrocities, and appreciated the fact that
Director Lee Tamahori didn’t sensationalize them, but really liked Dominic
Cooper’s first performance/s as a Star.
atrocities, and appreciated the fact that
Director Lee Tamahori didn’t sensationalize them, but really liked Dominic
Cooper’s first performance/s as a Star.
★★★★★★★
Labels: dramatized reallife, thriller
