Iraq’s own ‘Scarface’

Director Lee Tamahori needed redemption from his last Nic Cage stinker, “Next.” “The Devil’s Double” certainly puts him back on track at the box office.

“I think we all secretly like criminals. We just like to see them die at the end,” said Tamahori in an interview. And, boy, does Tamahori pick the crème de la crème of villains in Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday, allowing audiences to revel in a sinful attraction to the life of a deranged megalomaniac, doomed to a historic death. 

The plot is seductive and revolves around Hussein’s cartoonish yet despicable son and body double he chooses for himself, Latif Yahia. With small-time actor Dominic Cooper playing good guy and bad guy, it’s a matter of time before his accents stabilize and the film’s technical genius comes to light. 

Doused in murder, rape, drugs and guns, the film is reminiscent of classic Hollywood gangster films yet is timely in its portrayal of the Middle East. If you manage to ignore the inconsistent acting and don’t cringe at Uday’s debaucheries, you might enjoy this film. If not, watch it just to get a taste of an Iraqi “Scarface.”