Review of The Devil's Double (2011) by David S — 14 Jan 2012

I've heard this being compared to 'Scarface' and certainly the 80's setting, the gaudieness of some of the sets and the extreme violence reminds me of that Pacino classic but where it differs is the fact that this is based on very real people and situations and that makes it even more shocking.

Cooper's Uday is a terrifying psycho and he obviously relishes the role. He is equally ridiculous and hoffifying and the fact that you want to laugh at him and then runs away in fear is the driving force behind this film.

Unfortunately his Latif, although a good contrast, is nowhere near as interesting a character and the film drags when Uday is not on screen. The film also suffers from making both characters extremes of 'good vs evil'.

There is no inbetween here and it is hard to believe that there is no grey area when it comes to both characters. The fact that it is so clear cut takes the film away from reality and is a bit patronising to the audience.

Saying that, Cooper has finally delivered a great film role (in Uday) and his accomplishment of playing both roles shouldn't be overlooked. The story is interesting and relevent but throws up few surprises.

A solid film.