Rent The Devil's Double (2011)

Poor film, but Dominic Cooper just about lifts it out of mediocrity - The Devil's Double review by RP

Set in Iraq at the height of Saddam Hussein's regime in the late 1980s / early 1990s and his invasion of Kuwait, the film tells the (supposedly fact based) tale of Latif Yahia, who claims to have acted as the body double for Uday Hussein, Saddam Hussein's psychopathic eldest son.

The storyline (such as it is) covers the selection of Latif, his coercion into the role by violence and threats of torture to his family, his observation of the debauched, power crazed, drug-fuelled, sadistic, violent life of Uday, his affair with Uday's woman, his escape from Iraq and his return for a failed assassination attempt. Lots of violence, lots of f-ing and blinding, assorted crudity and nudity. Err, that's it.

Frankly, it's a poor film which is lifted out of mediocrity by the central acting role of Brit actor Dominic Cooper who plays both Latif and Uday. My criticism here is that he plays Uday in such an over-the-top manner that, whether or not he was like this in reality, it seems unrealistic. It does however provide an atmosphere of smouldering violence and unpredictability bordering on insanity that may be true to life.

None (?) of the women shown appears Iraqi - indeed, the country appears to be populated entirely by Westerners, all speaking English with a bogus middle eastern accent.

I'll give it 2/5 stars.

Excellent film - The Devil's Double review by JS

This was a gripping and excellent film, Dominic Cooper was excellent playing Latif and Uday. Wish I'd seen the film earlier but the reviews were only mediocre which doesn't do the film justice.

Cooper is an unstoppable tour-de-force in this completely no-holds-barred & extreme biopic - The Devil's Double review by TB

In 2002, Lee Tamahori did something unforgivable: he nearly single-handedly destroyed James Bond, amusingly enough needing fellow Kiwi director Martin Campbell to come back for Casino Royale (and thank the heavens he did.) For me, Tamahori was persona-non-grata, a man who seemed to think that filling a film with horrendous CGI & idiotic ideas created brilliant movies. And not only did he do that to Bond, he was then hired to direct the next xXx film & did exactly the same thing, in a film I was strong-armed into watching & walked out after 30 minutes.

I fully intended never to watch anything Tamahori was involved in ever again. But then I started to hear about this film, specifically the strong word-of-mouth praise & acclaim for Cooper's dual performance. What finally tipped the balance was that this was emphatically NOT a big-budget CGI-filled franchise sequel, but a small-scale film which had to work really hard to succeed. And it is sheer brilliance.

Latif Yahia is an unremarkable Iraqi soldier who, as a child, went to school with & has a passing resemblance to Uday Hussein, son of Saddam, the dictator of Iraq. He is summoned to meet Uday where he is informed that he has been chosen to become Uday's double, due to the serious threat of assassination that comes with being the President's son. Latif refuses, but relents after being tortured into changing his mind. He is then turned, with plastic surgery, into the spitting image of Uday, experiencing not only the untrammeled wealth & privilege but also having to deal with the despotic & psychotic behaviour of his "master."

Cooper is absolutely sensational, a total revelation. As Uday, he is totally & distressingly evil, a psychopath who has limitless wealth alongside the genuine power to do whatever he wants with absolutely no consequences. The film is clear to show you the disgusting depths he sinks to, such as driving his Ferrari around schools, picking up girls who cannot refuse him, before raping & murdering them. It is totally to the film's credit that this is presented uncensored & shown as the evil it is. With a nightmare grin alongside a volcanic temper, he is the stuff of nightmares.

Latif is the total polar opposite to this. When he first refuses Uday's request, he makes clear just what he thinks of his old classmate. But he is also a deeply moral person, trying in vain to in some way control the hell he has been forced into. In one of the most powerful sequences, he faces down Uday, not only challenging him but also acknowledging the fact that he is collateral, never more than a second away from Uday killing him on a whim. It is a compelling character & one which perfectly balances Uday's explosive nature.

As both characters, Cooper is incredible. Sometimes, one actor playing dual roles just doesn't work that well, despite the best efforts of the crew. But, and again is impressive for a low-budget film, is how seamlessly this is done. With a smile snatched straight from the devil, Cooper makes you horrifyingly hooked. He also totally outshines the other actors, especially Ludivine Sagnier, who is given a thankless role as the girl Latif risks everything for, but who comes across as the writers almost feeling they had to have a love interest of some kind to add to the story. But these are minor quibbles.

This film is one of the reasons I love movies so much: a story which takes you on a rollercoaster ride, centered around incredible performances & with a story which keeps you gripped and guessing. And God can Lee Tamahori make an incredible film when he actually controls his urge to fill the screen with garish special effects.