The Devil's Double and Double Standards in the Awards Scene: A Movie Review

*here be spoilers.

Director: Lee Tamahori.

Writers: Michael Thomas and Latif Yahia (book).

Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mem Ferda and Raad Rawi.

The big question in the minds of many fans of Dominic Cooper’s works is why is his name not on nomination lists of this year's awards show? Most lists are out, a few have come and gone, and the Oscars reflect an attitude of snubbing this mighty fine actor. His work in The Devil's Double is superb. He plays two contrasting types of characters with an easy push of a button. One is a very calm and controlled dilettante and the other a violent brat who can scream the Incredible Hulk down.

And the cinematography used to blend his own body-double into the scenes is impeccably flawless. Even more insightful is the question this film brings up: can anyone turn a blind eye to the misfit behavior committed by another? This movie is more of a psychological thriller than a dramatization of events. As for whether or not the facts are true, that’s hardly an issue.

From the get-go, audiences learn who Latif Yahia (Cooper) is. He is a soldier, willing to give life and liberty for his country. But when he's told he looks like Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam, his life becomes less kind. All he has to do is be Uday’s body double. But is he doing it for the right reasons? No. As this film will later point out: Yahia has a heart that will later reveal itself as belonging to freedom.

That's the appeal of this movie for latecomers to this tale. Another one is how bright and golden the world of Baghdad appears to be. The visual motifs are a very loud stamp. It's gorgeous to behold and it represents the wealth and power that can exist for everyone in Arabia. Sadly, it is only for the elite. Some people live in squalor and no golden surface is without some kind of blemish.

In the video release are an audio commentary by director Lee Tamahori and three featurettes ("True Crime Family," "Double Down with Dominic Cooper," and "The Real Devil's Double"). Here, the real Yahia is interviewed.

While some people may not be invested to learning about the causes of the Iran-Iraq war, or how that country figures on the world-stage, the politics are lightly explored in the film. More could have been appreciated to make this movie stand out and this is one film that can serve a political agenda if it’s serviced right—that is to provide both point of views and leave it to the audience to decide.

Apparently, Uday has a lot to say about his fellow man and they could have been explored more fully. Most of this film shows how conflicted Yahia must be feeling after following Hussein around. That’s very apparent in Cooper's performance and how he tracks his eyes towards the people conspiring around him.

After watching this film, some will find that this actor deserves to be followed. His future works will prove to be promising. With the right vehicle, he could get next year’s Golden Globe or even the Oscar with only a wink of an eye.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.

The film's fan page is here:

The Devil's Double on Facebook

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