The Dark Mirror of Humanity

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2010)

The biting humor of Lord of War almost leaves one sickened to have made light of such a dark subject. Almost. Instead of taking sides this flick teeters on the fence of judgment, leaving the viewer locked and loaded to make his moral decision sans any Hollywood influence. The opening credits, in a tragically spectacular fashion, allude to this, placing guilt in the appropriate lap such that the movie can get back to the business at hand and manifest a flick free of the PC crowd's wishful thinking. Nicolas Cage is perfect for this role, the middleman of evil whose mantra of inevitability forms the Teflon skin that sheds any and all icky guilt that might cling to his vocation of choice. Deep down though, his character simply has found his role in life, something fate seems to have gifted or maybe cursed him with, and is fate to be denied? The story slightly veers from highlighting the typical storyboard anatomy, concentrating more on human nature and purpose of being. In doing so, it sets up an uncritical canvas upon which the viewer must come to terms with the reality of the human creature without the filter of rose tinted glasses. Not a film for everyone, it is a flick for those not afraid of the mirror of humanity. Merci beaucoup.
Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews