This theme should deserve better

Rating: 6/10 (2 November 2005)

If it weren't for the scenes taking place in Liberia which show some kind of truth and realism and for the final scenes my vote for this movie would be much lower. In fact this movie is rather weak as a libel against arms traffic since the scenario is full of cheap ideas with some improbable or unexplained developments (for instance how and where could a modest Ukrainian immigrant suddenly find the necessary capital to create so quickly a large arms dealing business?).The dialogues and the off comments by the main character intend to be cynical but exhibit a large amount of commonplace philosophy about arms dealing after all. Even the sentimental story of the arms dealer and his wife is rather watery since the beginning and the sudden consciousness of the latter about the true business of her husband is quite unconvincing. The players do their work so so except of course Nicolas Cage who does a great job in a movie whose quality is unequal to his talent. The theme of arms trafficking deserved a better movie indeed.