Sign of the times
- Lord of War review by CP Customer
A true picturisation of the current system we live in. Shows what all governments get upto and how they deceive us all !
1 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Lord of war food for thought
- Lord of War review by CP Customer
If you are expecting an action packed fight fest forget it. If you are expecting a laugh out loud comedy thriller, well the comedy is there but it's definitely got a dark vein of humour running through it.
If you are expecting a dramatic film that's going to leave you thinking then this is it.
Nicholas Cage is on cracking form in this film about a gun runner, selling arms to the highest bidder, to men in the most volatile and bloody regions of the world.
So successful is he, that despite all the wealth it brings him, it costs him far far more in a personal way and leaves him walking a dangerous line.
Married with a kid and the government after him, can he survive rival businessmen, war zones and personal crisis?
His character is hard to consider as a hero, and yet there is a chord of sympathy struck for Cages character in this first rate, well directed and beautifully shot film.
But the cage isn't the only reason why this film will stick in the memory for a long time after watching, because it highlights the hypocriscy of governments and politics in a way that few other movies do.
Rent it and think about the films message which is, what's more important, profit or lives?
Thought provoking and chilling, if I could award movies oscars, this would get one from me for being one of the best movies I've seen in recent months.
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Surprisingly good view on the arms trade.
- Lord of War review by CP Customer
If you're expecting a big budget crime/action thriller about an arms dealer you're going to be disappointed. 'Lord of War' is very similar in tone to the Richard Linklater film 'Fast Food Nation' in which a character based drama is used to highlight the moral ambiguity of an industry. The film charts the rise of Yuri Orlov a Ukrainian born American small arms trader who grows rich after the end of the cold war by selling ex-soviet arms to third world African dictators and warlords. Set over a number of years the film, part narrated by the character of Yuri, explores his life, his personal relationships, his constant pursuit by Interpol agents trying monitor illegal arm trades and his personal demons which question the morality of his business. Expertly written, well directed and with a surprisingly good performance from Nicolas Cage this is well worth a rental.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
The international arms trade seen through the eyes of a cynical Nicolas Cage
- Lord of War review by Philip in Paradiso
In the early 1980s, Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), the eldest son of a family of refugees from the Ukraine, is a drifter without much hope of a better future, in Brighton Beach, a grim suburb of New York. Then, he decides to try his luck, with the assistance of his brother, as an arms dealer. He soon realises that the big money is to be made overseas, more particularly in Africa. There is a seemingly unlimited supply of weapons coming out the former USSR, after its collapse in the early 1990s.
The film shows the career progression of Y Orlov, who comes across all manner of shady and/or sadistic individuals in the process, and is basically unfazed by it all. In the process, he picks up a glamorous wife. He is successful. What grips you is the depiction of the central characters, and Nicolas Cage is excellent in the way he plays the part of the merchant of death, devoid of any scruples.
The movie is not a thriller in the conventional sense at all, but it is still full of suspense and riveting. It deconstructs the way that the arms trade works in an insightful manner, without ever being boring or demonstrative. There are also many funny moments: not because the film tries to be funny (and there are also many tragic incidents), but because the entire plot is surreal, and yet entirely plausible.
This is an excellent film that would deserve to be better known and more widely appreciated. In some ways, it is a classic, or should be.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Not a black comedy
- Lord of War review by CP Customer
Entertaining film, but disagree with the description as a black comedy.
0 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Black comedy
- Lord of War review by CP Customer
The film includes some fairly light hearted humour in the first half; although you laugh, you do feel a little uncomfortable at doing so because of the subject matter. The poor background of the brothers and desire by Cage in particular to 'improve' his life in terms of monetary gain is explored in the beginning. We are reminded of his determination to succeed by the way he captivates the woman of his dreams. The second half of the film, particularly the scenes set in Africa, are difficult to stomach but nevertheless thought provoking. The narrative voice over by Cage adds interest.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.