Review of Lord of War (2005) by Júlio A — 10 Apr 2016

Man this movie surprised me. I saw the ads when this first came out and thought "meh, just another weird Nic Cage movie." Well, I was partly right I guess, but it's a helluva' lot better than I thought it would be. It reminded me a lot of War Inc., a movie that is far from perfect, but which I still really enjoy. It's has a satirical edge to it, but doesn't shy away from darker moments. Still it has an energy to it that makes the dreary subject matter much more enjoyable while still treating it with respect. It introduces a world that I knew existed, but never really thought much about, and makes it approachable and entertaining while still shocking and potent.

The movie isn't perfect though. If it had gone a little further, little darker, little edgier, it could have been a classic. As it stands it's still a good movie, but let's face it, it's not one a lot of people think about 10 years later. Part of that I think has to do with director Andrew Niccol. He's an amazing writer, and has some great scripts with great ideas, but his best scripts have been handled by a different director. The movies he directs himself are interesting, but can't help but feeling a little Hollywood manufactured and pedestrian. If he had handed this script over to someone like Oliver Stone or Martin Scorcese, it could have been a masterpiece. As it stands I do really like the movie, but I can't help but wish for the masterpiece it could have been. But don't take that as too much of a negative! It's a really interesting and enjoyable movie even if it doesn't reach the heights it could have.