Rated R for strong brutal violence and torture, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive language
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast
Director: Lee Tamahori
I was astounded. I went in to "The Devil's Double," the true story of Latif Yahia who was forced to be Uday Hussein's body double for several years during Saddam's brutal dictatorial hold on Iraq, thinking that two different but similar looking actors portrayed the roles of Latif and Uday. There were times, yes, when I did wonder if perhaps it could be the same actor, but the mannerisms between the characters were too precise. Too inherent. Too pronounced. It had to be different performers.
And yet there I sat dumbfounded as the end credits rolled; one man mastering two roles like I've never seen done as effectively before. The actor is Dominic Cooper, who has appeared in several films ("Mamma Mia," "An Education," and more recently as inventor Howard Stark in "Captain America: The First Avenger") but none have afforded him the opportunity to display such superlative acting nuance. The idiosyncrasies of the two characters are so exact that there isn't any mistaking one for the other, even in scenes where Latif is performing his duties as a body double, imitating Uday giving speeches. At the very least, Cooper must be considered a dark horse candidate for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. He's that good here.
The existence of stand-ins for the Hussein family was publicly known. Such measures were taken to confuse potential attackers and reduce risk when making public appearances and speeches. But this isn't a character study or a political thriller. It's a skillfully-staged gangster film. The movie has been compared, for better or worse, to Brian DePalma's "Scarface." I understand the comparisons, and I doubt screenwriter Michael Thomas or director Lee Tamahori ("Once Were Warriors," "The Edge") mind such parallels; this is a film that takes pride in its glossy, cutthroat zeal.
While this is sold as the true story of Latif, it's the character of Uday who propels the narrative forward with barbaric force. Latif was an Iraqi soldier extricated from the frying pan of the battlefield and plunged into the fire of Uday Hussein's vainglory. He implores Latif to be his double for political reasons, though it's clear personal reasons exist also; the thrill in creating a second version of himself is impossible for the narcissistic Uday to suppress. Latif refuses at first, but soon discovers (as most who cross Uday's path do) that he hasn't a choice, as threats are levied against his family.
Following a couple plastic surgery procedures and some "instructional" videos of sorts displaying torture techniques, Latif is thrust into Uday's world of sex, drugs, money, rape and murder. The inherently decent and subdued Latif watches helplessly as Uday's psychosis dictates his actions; from sadistically preying on teenage schoolgirls walking home after class to quite literally spilling the guts of his father's closest confidant on a banquet table after being slighted. Uday goes so far as to defile a bride on her wedding day for no other reason than to prove he can get away with it. Latif performs his duties as the fiend's double for a time, until the hopelessness of the situation forces him to take drastic and life-altering measures.
Cooper is punctilious in crystallizing each character's persona. He plays Uday as the most hubristic of ruffians, whose growing obsession with his own double is so intense, it borders on the erotic. Latif possesses the main character arc; he succumbs to the threats initially, until the realization settles in that ultimatums mean little when the aggressor's psychotic behavior enables him to carry out such threats no matter what. The movie benefits from other performances as well, including Raad Rawi as a Hussein family employee who has grown to detest what he sees but is trapped in a perpetual nightmare of forced loyalty. And Ludivine Sangier as one of Uday's many mistresses, whose intelligence is a double-edged sword. She is smart enough to not be swayed by Uday's rodomontade, but is also willing to sift through any means of self-preservation, including potential double-dealings; we're never quite sure if we can trust her.
As for the special effects required to have the same actor play opposite himself, it all seemed pretty seamless to me, though it's worth noting that because I didn't realize the same actor played both roles, I wasn't deliberately seeking such deficiencies. It's also worth mentioning that this isn't presented as a docudrama; I imagine a much different movie could be made from the same source material. As a stylishly-shot, rapidly-paced crime drama, however, the film works. And at the center is a performance from Dominic Cooper that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
* * * out of * * * * stars
And yet there I sat dumbfounded as the end credits rolled; one man mastering two roles like I've never seen done as effectively before. The actor is Dominic Cooper, who has appeared in several films ("Mamma Mia," "An Education," and more recently as inventor Howard Stark in "Captain America: The First Avenger") but none have afforded him the opportunity to display such superlative acting nuance. The idiosyncrasies of the two characters are so exact that there isn't any mistaking one for the other, even in scenes where Latif is performing his duties as a body double, imitating Uday giving speeches. At the very least, Cooper must be considered a dark horse candidate for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. He's that good here.
The existence of stand-ins for the Hussein family was publicly known. Such measures were taken to confuse potential attackers and reduce risk when making public appearances and speeches. But this isn't a character study or a political thriller. It's a skillfully-staged gangster film. The movie has been compared, for better or worse, to Brian DePalma's "Scarface." I understand the comparisons, and I doubt screenwriter Michael Thomas or director Lee Tamahori ("Once Were Warriors," "The Edge") mind such parallels; this is a film that takes pride in its glossy, cutthroat zeal.
While this is sold as the true story of Latif, it's the character of Uday who propels the narrative forward with barbaric force. Latif was an Iraqi soldier extricated from the frying pan of the battlefield and plunged into the fire of Uday Hussein's vainglory. He implores Latif to be his double for political reasons, though it's clear personal reasons exist also; the thrill in creating a second version of himself is impossible for the narcissistic Uday to suppress. Latif refuses at first, but soon discovers (as most who cross Uday's path do) that he hasn't a choice, as threats are levied against his family.
Following a couple plastic surgery procedures and some "instructional" videos of sorts displaying torture techniques, Latif is thrust into Uday's world of sex, drugs, money, rape and murder. The inherently decent and subdued Latif watches helplessly as Uday's psychosis dictates his actions; from sadistically preying on teenage schoolgirls walking home after class to quite literally spilling the guts of his father's closest confidant on a banquet table after being slighted. Uday goes so far as to defile a bride on her wedding day for no other reason than to prove he can get away with it. Latif performs his duties as the fiend's double for a time, until the hopelessness of the situation forces him to take drastic and life-altering measures.
Cooper is punctilious in crystallizing each character's persona. He plays Uday as the most hubristic of ruffians, whose growing obsession with his own double is so intense, it borders on the erotic. Latif possesses the main character arc; he succumbs to the threats initially, until the realization settles in that ultimatums mean little when the aggressor's psychotic behavior enables him to carry out such threats no matter what. The movie benefits from other performances as well, including Raad Rawi as a Hussein family employee who has grown to detest what he sees but is trapped in a perpetual nightmare of forced loyalty. And Ludivine Sangier as one of Uday's many mistresses, whose intelligence is a double-edged sword. She is smart enough to not be swayed by Uday's rodomontade, but is also willing to sift through any means of self-preservation, including potential double-dealings; we're never quite sure if we can trust her.
As for the special effects required to have the same actor play opposite himself, it all seemed pretty seamless to me, though it's worth noting that because I didn't realize the same actor played both roles, I wasn't deliberately seeking such deficiencies. It's also worth mentioning that this isn't presented as a docudrama; I imagine a much different movie could be made from the same source material. As a stylishly-shot, rapidly-paced crime drama, however, the film works. And at the center is a performance from Dominic Cooper that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
* * * out of * * * * stars
