Misfire on morality, arms and the man

Rating: 6/10 (20 September 2005)

¶.$4L WAR (2005) ** Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ethan Hawke, Eamonn Walker, Ian Holm (Cameo: Donald Sutherland) Filmmaker Andrew Niccol never finds the tone of this portrait of an amoral arms dealer (played by Cage with some indifference as well) that blends potential of black comedy and social satire with the unbalancing act of international blight and political ramifications. Heavy handed and too solemn in its tone even when it attempt for the lighter threads of this tapestry of life and death with a small price to pay for. Hawke co-stars as the dogged INTERPOL agent after the slippery silver-tongued devil and Moynahan provides the sex as his oblivious trophy wife while Leto acts up a storm with mixed results as his younger, party livin' bro.