Although Lord of War propels with a somewhat uneven testament on international arms dealing, it is a compelling piece of work

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2017)

"There are 550 million firearms manufactured in a world circulation, that is one firearm for every twelve people on the planet" says Nicholas Cage's character in the opening scene. This political thriller boasting Andrew Niccol in the director's chair offers a significant, but somewhat convoluted testament on the tragic repurcussions of illegal arms dealing. The central figure in the story of a seemingly ordinary man who finds himself way over his head when he gets involved in a contraband arms dealing industry. As what many may know from reading the newspapers, arms dealing is a dirty business, and this film sheds some fair light on it. Although Niccol appears to show slightly more interest in pushing for a political agenda than telling a stimulating story, the story serves not as an angry condescension against arms dealing but a bold character study of a man wrestling with his inner demons as a result of his amoral business. Set in the 1980s during the final stretch of the Cold War, this film stars Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an Ukrainian native who makes a shot for the big bucks when he starts an contraband arms dealing business, selling a mass production of firearms to various international warzones around the globe. Bringing his cocaine addicted brother Vitaly (played by Jared Leto) along, Yuri quickly rises up the financial ladder with his selling, but soon must confront his morality when he finds himself in the crossfire of Interpol agent Jack Valentin (played by Ethan Hawke) who's pursuing after him.
This movie tackles the area of the Cold War most films of the genre often neglect, and that is the politics that went outside the United States when many countries in the eastern hemisphere were at war and one of the major conflict dealt with exchange of international firearms. While the arms exchanging duty did lead to a helping hand for international defense, it also opened doors to tragedies that caused the lives of countless lives including children. This film focuses on the lead character's struggle against his morality when we witnesses the violent tragedies of countries at war, while experiencing a bold uproar in the law enforcement. Andrew Niccol does a fairly successful job at portraying the rise and fall of the lead character's dirty business, effectively exhibiting the violent consequences of arms dealing that puts him and his family in danger. But it is not the final half of the film when the story splashes into a somewhat uneven fiasco. There is a fair amount of substance and political commentary sprinkled throughout the two-hour picture, but perhaps it doesn't help that the narrative occasionally teeters towards the brink of uncertainty. The story ends on a rather ambiguous note that has a good capacity to leaving viewers with more questions about Yuri's morally dubious choices than answers.
Nicolas Cage, Academy Award winner for his harrowing role in 'Leaving Las Vegas', does a pleasant job of showing his acting muscles in the lead role. His performance is solidly pleasant and shines a strong light on his talent. While his character may not fall in line with the category of a villain, there is no doubt that this role will provoke outrage for his ill morality that eventually leads to tragic consequences. Adding pinches of levity to the film's dark tone is Jared Leto who hops into the role of the lead character's younger brother Vitaly. Leto shines with a dose of humor nearly minute he is on screen, with his flamboyant behavior resulting from his compulsive cocaine addiction. While his comedic portrayal eventually overstays its welcome, Leto proves himself as a competent actor. Bridget Moynahan, suiting the role of Yuri's sexy lover and eventual wife, exhibits a decent performance for her time on screen. Then there is Ethan Hawke who takes on the role of an Interpol agent who rides on Yuri's tale upon discovering his unlawful business. His performance is quite strong and effectively shows his acting chops, nothing more nothing less.
Lord of War is far from standing a cinematic masterpiece, but it is smart, if slightly flawed testament on illegal arms dealing. It is an ambitious picture that is bound spark plenty of interests and discussions long after its conclusion, at least for some who get the invested in its bleak subject matter. It is a dark picture, but it is an intriguing nonetheless. Best of all, it marks the spot of one of Nicolas Cage's best endeavors.