Funny and disturbing in equal measure

Rating: 8/10 (9 August 2007)

Surprisingly effective black comedy about the arms trade that manages to be laugh out loud funny one moment and disturbing as hell the next. Yes, the film owes a lot to Goodfellas, from the decade spanning story to the constant voice overs. But it does a good job of sucking you in and entertaining you while at the same time showing you how the arms trade works, all without coming across as overly preachy.
Nicholas Cage puts in a solid performance as the arms dealer at the center of the story. It's not a sympathetic character, but he's so open and audacious in his evil-doing, and Cage is so amiable in the role, that it's hard not to like him. All too often Cage's acting is either over-the-top or wooden as a plank, but here he gets the balance just right and carries the film pretty much single-handed, with constant monologues and more screen time than most of the rest of the cast combined.
Jared Leto's also effective as the troubled younger brother who has the misfortune of developing a conscience (never a good thing for a gun runner), and Ian Holm has a nice little cameo as a rival arms dealer. But it's Eamonn Walker's turn as the psychotic African dictator Andre Baptiste which really steals the show.
Despite being a 'message' film, Lord of War is also slick and highly entertaining. Whether or not you're interested in the politics behind it, it's well worth a watch.