Review of The Devil's Double (2011) by Taha Z — 15 Nov 2011

Though Dominic Cooper pulls out the performance of his career, The Devil's Double plays fast and loose with historical facts, and consequently feels forced in its portrayal of Saddam Hussein's son and his body double.

Director Lee Tamahori keeps the pace brisk and the extraordinary "true" story should hold your attention, but the potential of the premise is diluted by Tamahori's preference for violence and gore over a real exploration of the characters.

Thank goodness then for Cooper who is brilliant in his dual role. Had The Devil's Double been a better film there's no doubt he'd be facing serious awards contention for his work here, but sadly his performance outstrips the film on all counts.

It's worth a watch, but The Devil's Double won't leave much of an impression outside of Cooper's performance.