Review of Lord of War (2005) by Liam C — 31 Mar 2013

First Review: Even after repeat viewings this film mystifies me. While being intelligent, it seems to lack everything else. I liked Nicolas' acting as Yuri because it felt so real. Walker as Andre was also very good and he was actually a very cool character.

This has to be one of the only times I agree with the RT consensus; the story seemed unstructured, overlong and over cramped to fit in the 2 hour period. No one in the film was likeable, the only thing that garnered any emotion out of me was the final couple of scenes where Orlov was descending into madness and it looked like he was going to die, even though he can't.

The ending was shockingly blunt and leaves you with a depressing realisation of this world.The music was cold and it was very elegant and makes you think, the locales were beautiful and stunning. Even though I didn't like it much, it holds my interest and I have seen it a few times, so it has to mean something.

I don't think of it as film entertainment, I see it as a slightly dramatised documentary. Why? Because the film documents real events with great accuracy. Just because I don't like it very much doesn't mean I am blind to what it truly is.

Second Review: After actually studying it and actually watching it again, I really enjoyed Lord of War, Niccol does a fine job at crafting a film that has a slow pace, still reaming intriguing, with subtle rewards, right before his downfall.

Lord of War documents the life of an arms dealer who questions the morality of his work. Everything that happens in the film is told from his viewpoint. The film is politically muted, showing both sides but not choosing one, it ultimately leads to an ending that makes you think about the depressing world we live in.

Nicolas Cage gives on last hurrah, before the Wicker Man and the slew of mediocrity that follows until 2009, as Yuri Orlov the arms dealer. He is great as him, totally enveloping himself and what many consider an Oscar worthy performance, why? He is buttoned down, has slight moments of insanity and is generally likable, given the nature of his work.

The way I feel about the film can't be put into words, it is shown through the music, the imagery (namely the scenes where the plane is dismantled). Yuri shares his world views, that are generally right, as the world is a rotten place, seeing as how the film is actually based on world events.