Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Movie Review - THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE – The True Story of Yahia Latif!

Name of the movie – The Devil’s Double
Language – English
Genre – Biography
Year of Release – 2011
Running Time – 108 minutes

We all know Saddam Hussein. But how many of us know Uday Hussein? Uday is Saddam’s eldest son and was seen as the next heir to the throne until he was killed by U.S. Special Operations Task Force in 2003. The Devil’s Double is the life story of Iraqi war-hero, Yahia Latif, who is recruited (through threats and torture) to play as the body double for Uday.


It is common for middle-eastern dictators to have more than one look-alikes to make sure that they are protected from assassination attempts and that they can be at multiple places at the same time. Uday Hussein was an extremely corrupt and violent man, who was at most times, psychotic. The story shows how Latif first refuses to become Uday’s body double and then is forced to due to the threat to his family. The movie focuses on the brutality meted out by dictators, like Uday, to the citizens of Iraq.


The Devil's Double Poster. Source: Google Images
The movie revolves around the mental trauma suffered by Latif for the brief period that he plays body double to Uday. What happens to Latif and Uday in the end... well, why would I spoil the surprise? This movie gave a fresh, but violent, new perspective into the lives of the people of Iraq although it does not justify war of any kind. Lee Tamahori, the director of the movie (of the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day fame) has left no stone unturned to portray all the violence in full gory detail.

My favourite part of the Movie - I would like not to pick a favourite part, but a favourite person. Dominic Cooper, who played both Yahia Latif and Uday Hussein, is just unbelievable. In each scene, he just makes you wonder, “What is this guy made of?” This movie should have certainly won him an Academy Award but it didn't!

My Verdict - Do not watch this movie if you have a weak stomach! The violence is extreme – one more such scene and it could have been under the genre – “Gore”. But I would totally recommend this movie since it gives you an in-depth look into the life of the middle-east and for Dominic Cooper’s mind-blowing performance throughout the movie.

No comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...