Greetings again from the darkness. The psychotic, sadistic son of Saddam Hussein is the subject of this film from director Lee Tamahori. Tamahori has a history of colorful films with terrific visuals that are somewhat lacking in substance. This latest film falls right in line, though it had much potential.
The key reason to see this one is the explosive performance(s) of Dominic Cooper. He plays two characters who happen to look identical, but are polar opposites in thought and morals. As Latif Yahia, Cooper plays a genuinely nice citizen of Iraq who gets forced into the role of “fiday” or body double for Saddam’s evil son Uday. For lack of a better description, Uday is psychotic and thrills 
only at abuse of power. This is not political corruption per se, because Uday has very little role in the Saddam government. But it is the most frightening example of absolute power corrupted.
The script is based on the real Latif’s story, and the closing credits catch us up on the key players. Mr. Tamahori interjects actual footage of the war in Iraq, but it really adds no substance. At its core, this is a story of a good guy fighting a bad guy … albeit in a most unusual manner.
This has to be an actor’s dream come true … playing two such different characters, one of which allows, even requires, your actions to go over the top. Cooper is best known for his much different roles in Mamma Mia and An Education. While there have been many actors who have played dual roles in movies, very few are as spellbinding as Cooper in this one. His performance ranks with Al Pacino in Scarface and Vincent Cassel in Mesrine. The movie is very difficult to watch because of the actions of Uday, but Cooper’s performance makes it worthwhile.
The support work is provided by Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool) as Uday’s lover, who also risks her life by getting cozy with Latif. I am really not sure about this character and although I am a fan of Sagnier, this story line seemed to take away from the battle of wits between Uday and Latif. Combine that with the movie being about 10-15 minutes too long, and I believe the script could have been tightened up resulting in an improved movie.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want a look at a possible Oscar contender for Best Actor – Dominic Cooper is amazing
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for a documentary on Saddam or Uday Hussein as this is a dramatized version
watch the trailer:
Movie Reviews from the Dark 