Review of Lord of War (2005) by James H — 23 May 2012

From director Andrew Niccol, of Gattaca and The Truman Show fame, comes a rather less impressive effort, Lord of War, but thanks to one of Nicolas Cage's better performances, it's by no means less enjoyable.

Unsatisfied with his life, Cage's character, Yuri Orlov, pursues an alternative one of crime as an international arms dealer, initially enlisting the help of his brother (Jared Leto), but soon going solo.

Utterly without scruples, Orlov has no qualms selling to all and sundry, taking no sides unlike his competitor (Ian Holm) and always two steps ahead of an Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke) on his tail. After marrying the girl of his dreams (Bridget Moynahan), Orlov seems to be living the life.

But all good things must come to an end, and for Orlov, they do in a big way. The movie is exciting at times, shocking at others, yet there's room for improvement. It is a blast watching Orlov wiggle out of tight situations, and while Cage's acting might not be the best, it is good enough.

The story is on the preachy side, which is a trifle annoying, but still solid on the whole, the same of which can barely be said for the direction. If not for a great opening shot and Orlov's eye-opener of a speech near the end, Lord of War would've been disappointing fare from Niccol.