Review of The Devil's Double (2011) by Reuben M — 23 Mar 2013

Dominic Cooper is not an actor who had ever made much of an impression on me. I'd seen him in a few things (such as THE DUCHESS), but he wasn't really on my radar. That has certainly changed after seeing him absolutely dominate THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE. He plays dual roles as Uday Hussein, the unhinged, deeply dangerous son of Saddam Hussein, and Latif, the unlucky young man who happens to look almost exactly like the evil Uday. Latif is forced to serve as Uday's double...the person who gets to go out in public pretending to be Uday and running the risk of assassination.

As such, Cooper gets to go wild & crazy as Uday...a man utterly ruled by his own perversions and volatility. He has almost ultimate power in the Iraq depicted here...the years of the Iraq/Iran War, the first Gulf War and the years after. There is little that is subtle about this depiction of Uday. Unlike, for example, the depiction of Idi Amin in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND...we don't really see any "soft" side or "reasonable" side to Uday...he's all uncontrolled id. His drunken, coke-fueled parties and his forays into the streets of Baghdad in order to find young schoolgirls to force himself on show us a man who literally has no redeeming values. Cooper chews into this with gusto.

But as Latif, he shows quiet strength. Latif becomes more and more sickened by what he sees around him. Uday, to Latif's chagrin, seems to have taken a liking for him and thus tries to drag him into his debauchery. Latif resists, but cannot help but become an angry shell of his former self. Cooper shows this character transition very believably.

THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE, as directed by Lee Tamahori, is not a subtle movie. It is not really trying to make any global statements nor is it shrouded with a deeper meaning. It's a straight-forward story of these two men, and some of the men and women in their circles. It feels a bit exploitative...but is undeniably gripping. There's something compelling about seeing just how low the human psyche can sink. Tamahori directs with the kind of gusto Cooper brings to his Uday...over-the-top & a bit loud. It's seems appropriate, but it also prevents the movie from being truly great. (I'm not sure there is a GREAT movie to be found here...Uday is not a character full of internal conflict...he could easily be a villain in a bad spy movie.) A few scenes of Uday's corruptness feel a bit repetitive, and for much of the movie, all Latif can do is endure. There's little forward momentum, per se, but rather a series of set pieces. A romance is developed between Latif and one of Uday's favorite women (played by French actress Ludivine Sagnier)...but it doesn't resonate too much. Also, because this is a true story...the spot where the film ends is of necessity a bit anti-climactic.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to enjoy in Cooper's performance (and the most amazing "split-screen" work I've ever seen...I totally forgot that Cooper is having to act with himself in so many scenes). This is not a film for the faint of heart, but it is luridly gripping. If it sounds interesting to you, I would recommend it...but if it sounds like the subject matter is just a turn-off, I can't imagine you enjoying the film. I give it a positive rating based on its energy and its star-making lead performance (or make that performances).