Based on Iraqi soldier Latif Yahia’s autobiographical novel, the movie shows the traumatic events in his life. How he was pulled from the front and forced to be a body double, or pay with the life of his family.
Dominic Cooper plays both Saddam Hussein’s son Uday, and Latif Yahia. He stars in a double role in a movie which provides an insight into what Iraq was like at that time, the hell that Latif Yahia had to go through, and the crimes of Uday, a cokehead, murderer, and rapist.
The acting is absolutely brilliant. The best scene is probably when, while playing Latif Yahia, he has to pretend to be Uday. He looks at himself in the mirror, takes a deep breath and bursts out of his room, shouting and breaking things. In that scene, he deliberately copies his own performance as Uday in an imperfect manner.
What was probably missing in the movie was the plight of the Iraqi people under the regime of Saddam Hussain. I did not get to see the poverty and misery that was a result of the dictator’s cruel leadership.
The movie is a fast paced political thriller. I am sure the movie did not depict everything as it took place, and had some additions/substactions to provide for entertainment but whatever the case, it happens to be an excellent movie.
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