Lord of War

Based on a true story, Nicholas Cage is Ukrainian-born American Yuri Orlov, a naturally charming but unsatisfied restaurant worker who turns to selling guns to make some money and escape from a monotonous existence. Soon having too much work on, he enlists the help of his brother Vitaly to watch his back, until Vitaly’s spiralling drug addiction starts to interfere. Yuri steadily becomes the biggest arms dealer in the world, selling to people from all walks of life, it doesn’t matter if they are dictators or revolutionaries, as long as he gets his money. However, Yuri soon draws the attention of Interpol agent, Jack Valentine and a cat and mouse game ensues. At the heart of the film is the attempt to understand Yuri’s willingness to sell weapons to people he knows are going to kill innocent people. However, no matter how he explains it away to everyone, truth is he’s bloody good at it and it gives his life meaning.

The opening scene where we follow the manufacture of a bullet through a factory and into the head of young soldier fighting in Africa pretty much sets the tone for the whole film, which is hard-hitting. The cinematography is brilliant, right the way through the steely colours feeling cold and detached. Nicholas Cage is amazing as Yuri and completely believable, carrying the film with a complex character that not many could have pulled off. The support cast are equally impressive though, particularly Leto and Moynahan as Yuri’s trophy wife who has no idea how he is funding her luxurious lifestyle. It is hard to believe relatively inexperienced director Niccol has pulled this off so brilliantly but he has. The messages are stark but not delivered in a preachy manner; it just kind of unfolds in front of you. It’s a tough film to stomach but definitely worth it.

Doris Harlow