Lord of War indeed

Rating: 9/10 (20 March 2006)

I really felt this movie transcended political and social issues and began to focus on the metaphysical. It, obviously, still delivered it's socio-political message, but it wasn't the focus of the movie. Yuri (Nicholas Cage) really did become the "Lord" of war, sin itself, trapped in his own personal hell. Able to depict the laws and needs of man he rises above law and becomes a sort of demigod, as is shown during his trampings across west Africa where the armed men are unable to kill him and the hyenas confront him ("I felt cursed with invincibility").
Cage, Bridget Moynahan, and Eamonn Walker all deliver amazing performances. Eamonn Walker really stole the show in a lot of ways, he played his role perfectly. Ethan Hawke is solid too, but I could have stood a few more scenes with him (like getting authorization to shoot at his plane over Africa). Despite the other reviews, Jared Leto's character was really the only down point of the movie. His overly dramatic final scene was hog wash, but Cage and the "Freedom Fighter" did finish the scene well at the bargaining table. (Honestly, that scene was the only reason Leto and the guy who played Andre Jr. were even in the movie, they were fluff characters who were there only to die) At any rate, I thought Lord of War was a great movie worth many viewings. Even if you don't make as much out of the movie as I did, it's worth it for the scene where Yuri has his plane land on the African highway... "It's like parking your car in certain parts of the Bronx, you just don't do it."