The Devil's Double (2011)

The Devil’s Double: Directed by Lee Tamahori. With Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast. A chilling vision of the house of Saddam. The world of Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was given a choice; either be the double for Saddam’s sadistic son, or die.

“The posters for director Lee Tamahoriu0026#39;s The Devilu0026#39;s Double (18) declare it to be u0026quot;Scarface of Arabiau0026quot;, referring both to Brian De Palmau0026#39;s 1983 gangster opus Scarface and the filmu0026#39;s setting during Saddam Husseinu0026#39;s brutal rule in Iraq. The Devilu0026#39;s Double is based on the true story of Latif Yahia, an Iraqi soldier chosen by the regime to be the body-double of the dictatoru0026#39;s infamous son Uday, with both roles played by Dominic Cooper.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe perks of the job are acceptable: enough designer clothing and willing women to make the average Premiership footballer looking like a trappist monk. However, the downsides are considerable too: torture, being shot at – and the fact that the penalty for seeking alternative employment is the death of Latifu0026#39;s entire family.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDominic Cooper stars in Devilu0026#39;s Double with Ludivine Sagnier.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDominic Cooper stars in Devilu0026#39;s Double with Ludivine Sagnier.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is easy to see why The Devilu0026#39;s Double has been compared to a gangster film. All the whirring, terrifying madness of Udayu0026#39;s world is depicted with the brutal verve one finds in Scarface and other films of its ilk. Instigating nightclub orgies while American bombs are exploding and shooting at loyal companions in psychotic rages are all part of Udayu0026#39;s regular routine.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe direction, intermingling footage of Operation Desert Storm with debauchery, captures the craziness of Uday and Latifu0026#39;s world with a lurid style.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAgain, like a great underworld film, Cooperu0026#39;s performance as the central villain is masterful, capturing Udayu0026#39;s menacing madness and chewing the scenery in between sucking breasts or shovelling cocaine up his nose. His performance as Latif is equally striking, but in a more nuanced way. We are never in doubt which one Cooper is portraying; his sickened desperate body language showing through even when Latif is Uday.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYet this film is not Scarface, and Uday is not Tony Montana. Tony Montana, like most anti-heroes found in films depicting criminals, had a form of morality. It may have been a twisted, cocaine-fuelled morality but it was one none the less. Uday has no morality; worse than that, heu0026#39;s evil even by the standards of his father, a man who thought nothing of gassing entire ethnic groups. This gives the film a heart of darkness. Uday is possibly one of the most horrifying characters ever to grace a cinema screen, proving it at regular harrowing intervals with crimes of a scarcely believable depravity.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis leads me to the filmu0026#39;s central flaw. Despite Cooperu0026#39;s performance, Latifu0026#39;s story never quite feels as compelling as it should be. The script at times makes a good manu0026#39;s forced descent into hell on Earth seem more like a mob underlingu0026#39;s troubled conscience upon witnessing his boss go too far. One scene, which directly juxtaposes his actions in saving others from Udayu0026#39;s horrors, doesnu0026#39;t have anywhere near the emotional resonance it should. One gets a sense that in trying to show us a world in which a moral compass is more likely to be thrust into the genitals of an innocent than providing any sort of guidance, the film has lost some of its humanity along with its protagonists.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite these flaws, though, The Devilu0026#39;s Double is still an excellent film. It is a brave attempt to portray a difficult and scarcely believable story. Even its failure to completely emote is understandable given the skill with which it presents its harrowing world. Due to this, and possibly the performance of the year from Dominic Cooper, its flaws are eminently forgivable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVerdict: ●●●● A must-watch for Cooperu0026#39;s performance alone, but expect to be troubled as well as thrilled throughout.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRead more reviews on www.theupcoming.co.uk”