Good entertainment for a change with an interesting actors / characters.

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2019)

Almost everything about this movie is good. If you're a fan of political dramas, this is it for you. Jared Leto plays Nick Cage's right-hand wingman and brother. They are illegal arms dealers, and spend the movie running surplus guns after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in the process are responsible for some of the worst wars and mass killings in 3rd world countries around the world. The only problem is, Jared Leto is the weak conscientious person, and ultimately his anxiety leads to his demise. I found it difficult to ponder why Nick Cage's character, at the point where his own brother gets shot by the guns he supplied to the warlord, even then does not develop a conscience?? That was surprising. Then you have the very annoying and one-dimensional Ethan Hawke's character, who plays the overly zealous Federal Agent who can never seem to get enough evidence to throw Nick Cage in jail. Even in the end, no one grows into anything better than what they started out as.
The reason I didn't give this a 10 or 9 is because it feels a little too long, even though it might not seem that way. Also, it does not hold up to repeated viewing, for some reason. You don't really feel redeemed by having watched this. This is an artistic work, but it lacks any sort of message in the end. Nick Cage, I guess, does a good job doing what he does (ie playing the dry wit of the movie). Therein lies another problem: Nick Cage has about 2 characters that he re-hashes: he is either Cameron Poe from Con-Air, or he is the guy from The Rock.
Ultimately, this movie is very materialist-centered, and at points it feels more like it is a rap video rather than a drama.