Violent, sadistic, ironic and utterly hilarious

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 2007)

This is an excellent film for people who enjoy a good story, with a bit of irony and black humour.
The film is a very realistic portrayal of the life of a gun runner, ruthlessly cashing in on social upheaval and political violence. In the name of realism it is unabashedly violent at points.
Nicholas Cage as the gun runner himself, is often affected by the moral conundrums of his stock and trade. The real conflict in the story is how he resolves these anomalies.
At the same time, the film does not glamorize the gun trade at all. At no point does it say that gun runners are actually really decent guys. Instead it simply challenges you to assess it for what it really is, and use it as a metaphor.
Be aware that this is not the sort of film you would typically watch with your family.