Rebecca Clough Jan 13, 2017
Samuel L Jackson, Colin Farrell, Kirk Douglas, Denzel Washington and more, as we explore underrated political thrillers...
Ask someone for their favourite political thrillers and you’re likely to get a list of Oscar-winning classics, from JFK to The Day Of The Jackal, Blow Out to Argo. But what about those electrifying tales that have slipped under the radar, been largely forgotten or just didn’t get the love they deserved? Here are 25 political thrillers which are underappreciated but brilliant.
See related Star Wars: Episode IX lands Jurassic World director 25. The Amateur (1981)
Generally, the first hostage to get shot in a heist movie is considered insignificant; luckily this time the young woman killed by terrorists has a devoted boyfriend who vows to avenge her death. Charles Heller (John Savage) already works for the CIA, so he’s able to use secret information to blackmail his bosses into...
Samuel L Jackson, Colin Farrell, Kirk Douglas, Denzel Washington and more, as we explore underrated political thrillers...
Ask someone for their favourite political thrillers and you’re likely to get a list of Oscar-winning classics, from JFK to The Day Of The Jackal, Blow Out to Argo. But what about those electrifying tales that have slipped under the radar, been largely forgotten or just didn’t get the love they deserved? Here are 25 political thrillers which are underappreciated but brilliant.
See related Star Wars: Episode IX lands Jurassic World director 25. The Amateur (1981)
Generally, the first hostage to get shot in a heist movie is considered insignificant; luckily this time the young woman killed by terrorists has a devoted boyfriend who vows to avenge her death. Charles Heller (John Savage) already works for the CIA, so he’s able to use secret information to blackmail his bosses into...
- 12/22/2016
- Den of Geek
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From Thomas F Wilson in Back To The Future to Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in Face/Off - when actors play multiple roles...
The dramatic use of actors playing multiple characters is a bold and rather theatrical device that has its ups and downs. It goes at least as far back as Captain Hook being played by the same actor who plays the Darling children's father in stage productions of Peter Pan, a technique largely adopted in film adaptations of the story, too (hello to Jason Isaacs).
It's used a lot in cinema too. Done well, it's impressive, but when it's bad, it's Jack & Jill. Whether used in comedy or drama or outright horror, there are countless examples of actors delivering terrific performances in more than one role at once, and that's before we even get past Cloud Atlas. Still, we've had a go at totting up 25 of the best.
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From Thomas F Wilson in Back To The Future to Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in Face/Off - when actors play multiple roles...
The dramatic use of actors playing multiple characters is a bold and rather theatrical device that has its ups and downs. It goes at least as far back as Captain Hook being played by the same actor who plays the Darling children's father in stage productions of Peter Pan, a technique largely adopted in film adaptations of the story, too (hello to Jason Isaacs).
It's used a lot in cinema too. Done well, it's impressive, but when it's bad, it's Jack & Jill. Whether used in comedy or drama or outright horror, there are countless examples of actors delivering terrific performances in more than one role at once, and that's before we even get past Cloud Atlas. Still, we've had a go at totting up 25 of the best.
- 11/5/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Dominic Cooper has been around long enough in the business to make his mark and offer audiences a familiar face who is always likely to deliver a memorable performance. Having recently plied his trade as James Bond author Ian Fleming in the impressive television series, Fleming, plus shifting into gear with the upcoming Need For Speed, we look back at six of Cooper’s best performances from times gone past.
The Devil’s Double
It takes a strong actor to forge an unforgettable character on screen but Cooper showed his chameleon-like acting abilities with 2011′s The Devil’s Double as he took on his most challenging task yet – tackling two separate roles in one film. Portraying both the crazed loose cannon son of Saddam Hussein and the man who was forced into becoming his double, the man himself proved adept in switching between the two polar opposites and delivered a commendable overall performance.
The Devil’s Double
It takes a strong actor to forge an unforgettable character on screen but Cooper showed his chameleon-like acting abilities with 2011′s The Devil’s Double as he took on his most challenging task yet – tackling two separate roles in one film. Portraying both the crazed loose cannon son of Saddam Hussein and the man who was forced into becoming his double, the man himself proved adept in switching between the two polar opposites and delivered a commendable overall performance.
- 3/12/2014
- by James Thompson
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
When Philip Quast accepted the role of Artist in Residence at the National Institute of Dramatic Art this year, he had a dual motive.
The first was to impart as much knowledge as he could to his students, drawing on nearly 35 years as an actor in stage, film and television. The second was to learn more about the mindset and motivations of aspiring young actors and directors.
.As older artists we have not necessarily come to terms with the fact that, for us, language revolves around form while for the younger generation it revolves around function, .said Quast, who graduated from Nida in 1979.
.Shakespeare is not being taught properly in schools any more, grammar is not being taught in the same way. Younger people tend not to ask questions because the answers are already being given on things like Facebook.
.Yet the students at Nida learn much faster than we...
The first was to impart as much knowledge as he could to his students, drawing on nearly 35 years as an actor in stage, film and television. The second was to learn more about the mindset and motivations of aspiring young actors and directors.
.As older artists we have not necessarily come to terms with the fact that, for us, language revolves around form while for the younger generation it revolves around function, .said Quast, who graduated from Nida in 1979.
.Shakespeare is not being taught properly in schools any more, grammar is not being taught in the same way. Younger people tend not to ask questions because the answers are already being given on things like Facebook.
.Yet the students at Nida learn much faster than we...
- 7/16/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
*here be spoilers.
Director: Lee Tamahori.
Writers: Michael Thomas and Latif Yahia (book).
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mem Ferda and Raad Rawi.
The big question in the minds of many fans of Dominic Cooper’s works is why is his name not on nomination lists of this year's awards show? Most lists are out, a few have come and gone, and the Oscars reflect an attitude of snubbing this mighty fine actor. His work in The Devil's Double is superb. He plays two contrasting types of characters with an easy push of a button. One is a very calm and controlled dilettante and the other a violent brat who can scream the Incredible Hulk down.
And the cinematography used to blend his own body-double into the scenes is impeccably flawless. Even more insightful is the question this film brings up: can anyone turn a blind eye to the misfit behavior committed by another?...
Director: Lee Tamahori.
Writers: Michael Thomas and Latif Yahia (book).
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mem Ferda and Raad Rawi.
The big question in the minds of many fans of Dominic Cooper’s works is why is his name not on nomination lists of this year's awards show? Most lists are out, a few have come and gone, and the Oscars reflect an attitude of snubbing this mighty fine actor. His work in The Devil's Double is superb. He plays two contrasting types of characters with an easy push of a button. One is a very calm and controlled dilettante and the other a violent brat who can scream the Incredible Hulk down.
And the cinematography used to blend his own body-double into the scenes is impeccably flawless. Even more insightful is the question this film brings up: can anyone turn a blind eye to the misfit behavior committed by another?...
- 2/14/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Ed Sum)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
After surviving a chaotic run through explosions and collapsing rubble, Iraqi soldier Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper – Mamma Mia, Captain America) is summoned by Uday Hussein (Cooper again), son of Saddam. Uday needs a body double for assorted public engagements and the ever-present risk to his physical safety and Yahia is the man for the job. Yahia’s initial reluctance is overcome by a series of beatings and threats to the lives of his family, following which he lives with Uday, witnessing first hand his debauchery, violence and mania, before deciding he has had enough and resolves to extricate himself at any cost.
*****
Director Lee Tamahori has dealt with violent male characters before (in his debut Once Were Warriors), but this is something else entirely. If even half of what is presented on screen in this flawed but fascinating film is true, Uday Hussein was a psychopath of unparalleled proportions. Cooper...
*****
Director Lee Tamahori has dealt with violent male characters before (in his debut Once Were Warriors), but this is something else entirely. If even half of what is presented on screen in this flawed but fascinating film is true, Uday Hussein was a psychopath of unparalleled proportions. Cooper...
- 12/23/2011
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Lee Tamahori's The Devil’s Double (2011), a tense gangster thriller starring Dominic Cooper in a double performance as both Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia, is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 December 2011 by Icon Home Entertainment. To celebrate, we have Two DVD copies of the film to give away to our readers. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook fans, so if you haven't already, head over to facebook.com/CineVueUK, 'Like' us, and then follow the instructions below.
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- 12/20/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
The Devil’s Double, a tense, terrifying and explosive gangster tour de force starring Dominic Cooper (Captain America, An Education) is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 December 2011 by Icon Home Entertainment. We have two blu-ray copies to give away.
Based on an unbelievable but true story, The Devil’S Double is about to join the canon of iconic gangster action films. Enter a world beyond your wildest dreams of power, sex and money and your worst nightmares of violence and betrayal. With an incredible performance of two extremes from Cooper, this is a fearless, high-octane film and not for the feint hearted – an unforgettable experience.
Baghdad 1987. Latif (Cooper) is taken to see his former schoolmate Uday (also played by Cooper), eldest son to Saddam Hussein. Latif is told that a great honour had been bestowed upon him: because of the great likeness between them, he has been chosen to be Uday’s body double.
Based on an unbelievable but true story, The Devil’S Double is about to join the canon of iconic gangster action films. Enter a world beyond your wildest dreams of power, sex and money and your worst nightmares of violence and betrayal. With an incredible performance of two extremes from Cooper, this is a fearless, high-octane film and not for the feint hearted – an unforgettable experience.
Baghdad 1987. Latif (Cooper) is taken to see his former schoolmate Uday (also played by Cooper), eldest son to Saddam Hussein. Latif is told that a great honour had been bestowed upon him: because of the great likeness between them, he has been chosen to be Uday’s body double.
- 12/13/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
By watching the special features on Lionsgate's Blu-ray for The Devil's Double you're quickly made aware how fictional this "based on a true story" really is. However, what's most alarming is how believable it all is. On top of that, a little research online alerts you to how very real the most horrific moment in the film actually is as Dominic Cooper as Uday Hussein slices open Kamel Hanna Jajo, Saddam Hussein's valet and food-taster. Of course, the way Jajo is killed differs from reports on how it went down in real life and the events that follow are a dramatic diversion, but the fact remains... Uday was psychotic. I heard varying buzz on The Devil's Double since its Sundance debut earlier this year and I missed it in theaters in July, but I'm happy I didn't let the negativity that started to swirl around its theatrical release discourage me from watching it.
- 11/27/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Starting somewhere in the realm of non-fiction, The Devil’s Double has no qualms about spiraling off into a sort of strange historical fantasy of intensely graphic but stylized violence and sexuality. The film features Dominic Cooper pulling double-duty as the insane son of Saddam Hussein, Uday, and the man Uday selected to be his body double and part-time brother, Latif Yahia. What starts as a pot boiler of human desperation transitions into a thriller, and while there are plenty of liberties taken with history and more than a few discrepancies, the visual flair and Cooper’s remarkable performance make The Devil’s Double a wholly enjoyable cinematic experience.
Read more...
Read more...
- 11/24/2011
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
The Film A stunning film that tells the story of a man forced to become the double of the malicious son of Saddam Hussein. It’s a cruel, unabashed recollection of Latif Yahia who had no choice but to give up his life and undergo surgery in order to be transformed into a convincing body double for Uday Hussein, a tyrant and monster of a man in a playboy’s body who murders and rapes victims for pleasure. Yahia is painfully sucked into this psychotic world of wealth and power. Dominic Cooper masterfully portrays both Yahia and Hussein, though his acting is so on key you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it for yourself. Both characters are incredibly different in terms of mannerisms and speech, yet Cooper was able to capture both fluidly. Certain aspects of the story are waning, however,...
- 11/24/2011
- by Zoë Gulliksen
- The Daily BLAM!
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
Along with everything below, don't forget to check out Amazon's Black Friday deals which I have listed in their entirety right here where you'll find deals on such titles as The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Blu-ray), Jurassic Park Trilogy (Blu-ray), Bridesmaids, The King's Speech and X-Men: First Class.
Other than that, let's see what this week offers...
12 Angry Men (Criterion Collection) I didn't have time to watch the special features, which are plentiful including Frank Schaffner's 1955 television version of the story, new interviews and even director Sidney Lumet's teleplay 1956 Tragedy in a Temporary Town. However, I did watch the film and you will be absolutely floored from the opening scene through the final minutes as Criterion has delivered, without a shadow of a doubt, the definitive version of Lumet's 1957 classic. I'm very...
Along with everything below, don't forget to check out Amazon's Black Friday deals which I have listed in their entirety right here where you'll find deals on such titles as The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Blu-ray), Jurassic Park Trilogy (Blu-ray), Bridesmaids, The King's Speech and X-Men: First Class.
Other than that, let's see what this week offers...
12 Angry Men (Criterion Collection) I didn't have time to watch the special features, which are plentiful including Frank Schaffner's 1955 television version of the story, new interviews and even director Sidney Lumet's teleplay 1956 Tragedy in a Temporary Town. However, I did watch the film and you will be absolutely floored from the opening scene through the final minutes as Criterion has delivered, without a shadow of a doubt, the definitive version of Lumet's 1957 classic. I'm very...
- 11/22/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
"The Devil's Double" is an impressive feat on a lot of levels, but there's no doubt that it's the work of actor Dominic Cooper as two wildly different roles — the psychotic son of Saddam Hussein, Uday, and his reluctant body double, Latif Yahia — that absolutely sells the movie. Even though the acting effort was a fantastic success on Cooper's part, there were some initial doubts about how the "Devil's Double" production team would be able to pull it off.
"Even as I was writing this, I was thinking, 'I don't know how the f--- we're going to do this,'" confesses writer Michael Thomas in this exclusive clip from the "Devil's Double" DVD, in stores on Tuesday (November 22). "How are you going to get a performance out of one guy, then another performance out of the same guy at the same time, when they're in practically every single scene?"
Well,...
"Even as I was writing this, I was thinking, 'I don't know how the f--- we're going to do this,'" confesses writer Michael Thomas in this exclusive clip from the "Devil's Double" DVD, in stores on Tuesday (November 22). "How are you going to get a performance out of one guy, then another performance out of the same guy at the same time, when they're in practically every single scene?"
Well,...
- 11/18/2011
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Movies Blog
Dominic Cooper does double duty as both the mad Uday Hussein and his thoughtful doppelganger and shines in both capacities. The comparisons to Scarface are both superfluous and well deserved or am I being two-faced? Iraqi army officer Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) is brought to the presidential palace in Baghdad. Uday Hussein, Saddam.s (Philip Quast) eldest son and heir apparent, has chosen Latif to be his body double. After being tortured and threatened to take the job, Latif finds himself in both the lap of luxury and the lair of a madman. He soon develops a relationship with Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), one of Uday.s .concubines.. If the possessive Uday found out about this dalliance he would certainly...
- 11/18/2011
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
Release Date: Nov. 22, 2011
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.99
Studio: Lionsgate
Dominic Cooper goes the "Scarface" route in The Devil's Double.
Rising star Dominic Cooper (An Education) stars in a dual role in The Devil’s Double, a biographical action-drama film about life in the world of notorious Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as seen through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein’s son Uday Hussein.
Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, Baghdad, Iraq was a decadent and dangerous playground for Uday Hussein (Cooper). Uday fueled his Caligula-like lust for debauchery and immorality by helping himself to whatever or whoever he wanted. Into this world arrives Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (also Cooper), who is commanded to become Uday’s ‘fiday’—his body double—or have his family condemned to death. Undergoing plastic surgery and dental work to enhance his resemblance to Uday, Latif is...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.99
Studio: Lionsgate
Dominic Cooper goes the "Scarface" route in The Devil's Double.
Rising star Dominic Cooper (An Education) stars in a dual role in The Devil’s Double, a biographical action-drama film about life in the world of notorious Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as seen through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein’s son Uday Hussein.
Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, Baghdad, Iraq was a decadent and dangerous playground for Uday Hussein (Cooper). Uday fueled his Caligula-like lust for debauchery and immorality by helping himself to whatever or whoever he wanted. Into this world arrives Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (also Cooper), who is commanded to become Uday’s ‘fiday’—his body double—or have his family condemned to death. Undergoing plastic surgery and dental work to enhance his resemblance to Uday, Latif is...
- 10/18/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Following his standout job playing two roles, Dominic Cooper has booked one really big gig.
Cooper starred in this summer's Iraqi war drama, "The Devil's Double," playing both Saddam Hussein's psychotic son Uday and his body double, Latif Yahia. At one moment blustery, irrational and maniacal and then subtle, pained and just, the role won him major plaudits and put him on the leading man radar screen of some of Hollywood's top directors.
Amongst those impressed with his talent was Albert Hughes, "The Book of Eli" director who, according to Variety, was so wowed that he sought Cooper out for the lead role in his next film, the revenge flick "Motor City." And so, Cooper will now play a newly freed ex-con that seeks out to find and punish those that framed him for the crime that landed him in prison.
The film will follow two new big projects...
Cooper starred in this summer's Iraqi war drama, "The Devil's Double," playing both Saddam Hussein's psychotic son Uday and his body double, Latif Yahia. At one moment blustery, irrational and maniacal and then subtle, pained and just, the role won him major plaudits and put him on the leading man radar screen of some of Hollywood's top directors.
Amongst those impressed with his talent was Albert Hughes, "The Book of Eli" director who, according to Variety, was so wowed that he sought Cooper out for the lead role in his next film, the revenge flick "Motor City." And so, Cooper will now play a newly freed ex-con that seeks out to find and punish those that framed him for the crime that landed him in prison.
The film will follow two new big projects...
- 9/29/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
With all of the recent wave of awesome praise for Dominic Cooper, I am not surprised that he is starting to get roles hand over fist.
DC has recently acquired the starring role in the Joel Silver produced, Albert Hughes directed Motor City.
Variety released this news, here is a little of what they had to say:
Hughes had been attached to direct "Akira" for WB but eventually dropped out before moving on to "Motor City."
Story follows a felon who, after being released from prison, begins tracking down the men who framed him. Chad St. John penned the script with Silver producing through his Silver Pictures shingle, along with Silver Pictures President Andrew Rona.
Cooper has had a busy summer with "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "The Devil's Double"; sources tell Variety that Silver was so taken with Cooper's double-role as Uday Hussein/Latif Yahia in "Double" that...
- 9/28/2011
- by rpmcmurphy
- GeekTyrant
The Pathe Tuschinski Theatre hosted a "Golden Gala" for the film The Devil's Double. Several cast members were in attendance including Dominic Cooper, Mem Ferda, Raad Rawi and Mimoun Oaissa. Also, the biographer Latif Yahia, on whom The Devil's Double is based, was in attendance with writer Michael Thomas. The event was golden in theme, with some of the events matching the glamorous moments of the film, as noted by actor Ferda: "of all the premieres I have attended this has truly been the most spectacular."
The Pathe Tuschinski Theatre is located in Amsterdam and this event was held September 5th. Organizers of the event included Corrino Media Group, Corsan, Staccato and A-Film. The event was a huge success as seen by the photos in the slideshow below. Enjoy the red carpet glamour of The Devil's Double, which is in theatres now.
The synopsis for the film is here:
"Bagdad,...
The Pathe Tuschinski Theatre is located in Amsterdam and this event was held September 5th. Organizers of the event included Corrino Media Group, Corsan, Staccato and A-Film. The event was a huge success as seen by the photos in the slideshow below. Enjoy the red carpet glamour of The Devil's Double, which is in theatres now.
The synopsis for the film is here:
"Bagdad,...
- 9/26/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
One of the first fictional works to exploit the idea of identical twins from different social backgrounds was Mark Twain’s ” The Prince and the Pauper”. Television would pick up on the twin idea in programs as varied as ” The Patty Duke Show” and more recent “Ringer”. And of course the movies have jumped aboard with many film versions of the Twain novel and a couple of Parent Trap flicks. Well if turns out something similar has been going on in real life, particularly with Middle Eastern leaders and their families. This new film by director Lee Tamahori ( The Edge ) turns the clock back over twenty years In this true story of doubles and deception.
Dominic Cooper ( Captain America:The First Avenger ) plays Latif Yahia, an ordinary man serving in the Iraqui Army. One day he is scooped up and brought to the royal palace in Baghdad. There he is...
Dominic Cooper ( Captain America:The First Avenger ) plays Latif Yahia, an ordinary man serving in the Iraqui Army. One day he is scooped up and brought to the royal palace in Baghdad. There he is...
- 9/14/2011
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The arrival of Labor Day weekend signals the end of our summer at the movies. We are now officially saying goodbye to a season of blockbusters. Let.s take a look back at the best movies Hollywood had to offer last summer. Here.s my list of the Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2011.
*** Click Read More for the complete Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2011, plus Best Performances, And The Worst Films!
10. .Attack the Block. . From the producers of .Shaun of the Dead. and .Hot Fuzz,. this criminally underseen alien invasion movie must belong in your must-see list! This stylish and entertaining yarn even has something to say about racism and social structure. Trust me, you will love this out-of-this-world movie!
9. .Thor. . Director Kenneth Branagh infused this Marvel superhero movie with enough Shakespearean sensibilities thus creating one of the best comic book superhero films to date. Chris Hemsworth is perfect as...
*** Click Read More for the complete Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2011, plus Best Performances, And The Worst Films!
10. .Attack the Block. . From the producers of .Shaun of the Dead. and .Hot Fuzz,. this criminally underseen alien invasion movie must belong in your must-see list! This stylish and entertaining yarn even has something to say about racism and social structure. Trust me, you will love this out-of-this-world movie!
9. .Thor. . Director Kenneth Branagh infused this Marvel superhero movie with enough Shakespearean sensibilities thus creating one of the best comic book superhero films to date. Chris Hemsworth is perfect as...
- 9/1/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
About half way through The Devil’S Double we bear witness to Dominic Cooper, as Uday Hussein, standing in the middle of the road and screaming “I love cunt more than God”. This is mere moments after he has forced an underage school girl into a car so that he can force her to have sex with him later that day. It is this rationalization of his actions that encapsulates all of what comes before and after this very moment. And there is a lot of it.
What makes this above moment stand out even more so than the revelatory dialogue should suggest, is that he is targeting this rant at himself. Or, more distinctly, his double: Latif Yahia, also played by Dominic Cooper. There are many moments throughout the film much like this one, in which we witness Cooper facing off against Cooper, with each successive encounter feeling like...
What makes this above moment stand out even more so than the revelatory dialogue should suggest, is that he is targeting this rant at himself. Or, more distinctly, his double: Latif Yahia, also played by Dominic Cooper. There are many moments throughout the film much like this one, in which we witness Cooper facing off against Cooper, with each successive encounter feeling like...
- 8/29/2011
- by Justin
- The Liberal Dead
Dominic Cooper‘s portrayal of Uday Hussein comes off the screen like a Universal monster. There’s a distinct physicality and horror that Cooper, suitably, manages to bring to Uday. He completely lacks any redeeming qualities or moral sense. On the other side of Cooper’s dual performance is Latif Yahia, who represents both the eye and moral conscious of the audience. He’s the good son. Unfortunately, I did not get to ask Cooper about his performance as Latif, which is arguably as challenging as playing a live-action cartoon. Uday must be an actor’s dream role, in many ways. Being a larger than life man allows a performer to go to so many places, tonally speaking, and Cooper did just that. Here’s what actor Dominic Cooper had to say about facing challenges, the unhinged nature of Uday, the polarizing reaction the film has received, and how The Devil’s Double is no Scarface: It...
- 8/28/2011
- by Jack Giroux
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The Devil’s Double
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Written by Michael Thomas and Latif Yahia, Based on the novel by Latif Yahia
Belgium, 2011
Fantasia imdb
The idea that there could be someone in the world who resembles us so much that they could pass as our double is a popular meme in literary imaginations, frequently expressed as the confusion between a peasant and a noble who appear physically identical, but whose life experiences are radically different. The only question is how far back do we go to find the original idea first expressed: Moon Over Parador? The Great Dictator? The Prisoner of Zenda? The Prince and the Pauper? A Tale of Two Cities? The Man in the Iron Mask? Twelfth Night?
In fact, the idea of the doppelgänger is such a primal one that it is expressed in the very first piece of recorded literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh. The...
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Written by Michael Thomas and Latif Yahia, Based on the novel by Latif Yahia
Belgium, 2011
Fantasia imdb
The idea that there could be someone in the world who resembles us so much that they could pass as our double is a popular meme in literary imaginations, frequently expressed as the confusion between a peasant and a noble who appear physically identical, but whose life experiences are radically different. The only question is how far back do we go to find the original idea first expressed: Moon Over Parador? The Great Dictator? The Prisoner of Zenda? The Prince and the Pauper? A Tale of Two Cities? The Man in the Iron Mask? Twelfth Night?
In fact, the idea of the doppelgänger is such a primal one that it is expressed in the very first piece of recorded literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh. The...
- 8/17/2011
- by Michael Ryan
- SoundOnSight
The Devil’s Double
Written by Michael Thomas
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Belgium, 2011
Make no mistake about it. The Devil’s Double is worth seeing in theatres, if for nothing else than to see Dominic Cooper’s tour de force dual performance. Nothing previously in Cooper’s filmography could have prepared us for the work he does here. In his first starring role, he makes both Hussein and Yahia into complex and very different characters. The movie surrounding him is very good, although it unfortunately loses its way in the final twenty minutes when it decides to enter pure thriller mode.
Many tales have emerged from Iraq during the time of the Gulf War. Many people have claimed to have known Saddam Hussein, and there are many tales of survival from Iraqis who have escaped Saddam’s Iraq when they could. Lee Tamahori’s film tells the “true” story of Latif Yahia,...
Written by Michael Thomas
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Belgium, 2011
Make no mistake about it. The Devil’s Double is worth seeing in theatres, if for nothing else than to see Dominic Cooper’s tour de force dual performance. Nothing previously in Cooper’s filmography could have prepared us for the work he does here. In his first starring role, he makes both Hussein and Yahia into complex and very different characters. The movie surrounding him is very good, although it unfortunately loses its way in the final twenty minutes when it decides to enter pure thriller mode.
Many tales have emerged from Iraq during the time of the Gulf War. Many people have claimed to have known Saddam Hussein, and there are many tales of survival from Iraqis who have escaped Saddam’s Iraq when they could. Lee Tamahori’s film tells the “true” story of Latif Yahia,...
- 8/16/2011
- by Josh Youngerman
- SoundOnSight
Starting somewhere in the realm of non-fiction, The Devil’s Double has no qualms about spiraling off into a sort of strange historical fantasy of intensely graphic but stylized violence and sexuality. The film features Dominic Cooper pulling double-duty as the insane son of Saddam Hussein, Uday, and the man Uday selected to be his body double and part-time brother, Latif Yahia. What starts as a pot boiler of human desperation transitions into a thriller, and while there are plenty of liberties taken with history and more than a few discrepancies, the visual flair and Cooper’s remarkable performance make The Devil’s Double a wholly enjoyable cinematic experience.
Read more...
Read more...
- 8/14/2011
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
This flashy thriller, an English-speaking co-production between Belgium, the Netherlands, Malta and the United States shot partly in Jordan, is a fictionalised biography of Latif Yahia, the hapless double for Saddam Hussein's elder son Uday from the Iraq-Iran war to the first Gulf war. The screenwriter, Michael Thomas, handled similarly salacious political material with greater skill in Scandal, the 1988 study of the John Profumo/Christine Keeler affair, and while the film is fairly entertaining, it has nothing new to say about Iraq and little that is original about doppelgangers. Dominic Cooper, however, gives a convincing, at times truly chilling dual performance as Latif and Uday, making an effective distinction between the man of honour, forced to assume another's identity to protect his family, and the sadistic libertine and homicidal psychopath who becomes his puppeteer.
ThrillerPhilip French
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject...
ThrillerPhilip French
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject...
- 8/13/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
This $20m film is based on Latif Yahia's claim to have been a body double for Uday Hussein. But his story doesn't add up
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
- 8/13/2011
- by Eoin Butler
- The Guardian - Film News
In the late 1980s, Iraq was plagued by an insane tyrant, a monster at the highest level of government. But the evil creature of whom we speak was not the President. Rather, his older son was, Uday Saddam Hussein. Like his father, Uday wanted a body double both for protection and to portray him in unpleasant public appearances. Thus an old schoolmate with an uncanny resemblance was brought to the palace, and that is where the life of Latif Yahia was to effectively come to an end. The Devil's Double, opening in Austin theaters today, is an account of Latif's experiences as he was forced into service of one of the most evil men on Earth.
Alternately charming, sexy and then terrifying, Dominic Cooper delivers the performance of a lifetime as both Uday Hussein and stand-in Latif. His performance of each character is so strong I thought at first I...
Alternately charming, sexy and then terrifying, Dominic Cooper delivers the performance of a lifetime as both Uday Hussein and stand-in Latif. His performance of each character is so strong I thought at first I...
- 8/12/2011
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
Director: Lee Tamahori Writers: Michael Thomas (screenplay), Latif Yahia (novel) Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi, Mem Ferda, Dar Salim Lee Tamahori’s new film, The Devil’s Double, based on the 1997 memoir, I Was Saddam's Son, tells the story of the unfortunate Iraqi soldier Latif Yahia who bears so strong a resemblance to Saddam Hussein’s elder son Uday that he is forced by Hussein’s inner circle to serve as a body double for this corrupt, sociopathic live wire who represents all of the excess and paranoia of Hussein’s regime. Unfortunately, what might have been a compelling drama steeped in recent history and politics is instead little more than a second-rate genre film that often looks and feels like a made for TV movie. Dominic Cooper (Captain America, An Education) plays both the reluctant Latif and the leering, violent-tempered Uday Hussein, which seems a sensible enough casting decision.
- 8/12/2011
- by Dave Wilson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Dominic Cooper's turn as Saddam Hussein's son and his body double is watchable but this is violent, unsubtle stuff
Right now, James Corden is getting rave reviews for his dual stage performance in One Man, Two Guvnors at London's National theatre. As it happens, his History Boys classmate Dominic Cooper is giving his own doppelgänger turn in this movie set at the time of the Gulf war in 1990. Cooper plays Saddam Hussein's pampered son Uday and also Uday's horrified body double Latif Yahia, in a gruesomely violent, toweringly unsubtle, fantastically crass but watchable thriller, inspired by DePalma's Scarface, with a touch of Bond villainy. Everywhere there is dodgy faux-marble and the gleam of gold plate. Cooper's Saddam Jr is a gap-toothed momma's boy, bully, murderer, rapist and cokehead, surrounded by sycophants, but terrified of assassination, hence the need for a double. Yahia is a less interesting character: tough,...
Right now, James Corden is getting rave reviews for his dual stage performance in One Man, Two Guvnors at London's National theatre. As it happens, his History Boys classmate Dominic Cooper is giving his own doppelgänger turn in this movie set at the time of the Gulf war in 1990. Cooper plays Saddam Hussein's pampered son Uday and also Uday's horrified body double Latif Yahia, in a gruesomely violent, toweringly unsubtle, fantastically crass but watchable thriller, inspired by DePalma's Scarface, with a touch of Bond villainy. Everywhere there is dodgy faux-marble and the gleam of gold plate. Cooper's Saddam Jr is a gap-toothed momma's boy, bully, murderer, rapist and cokehead, surrounded by sycophants, but terrified of assassination, hence the need for a double. Yahia is a less interesting character: tough,...
- 8/11/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Dominic Cooper has been around for a while now, appearing in plenty of big movies (Mamma Mia, Captain America) but up to now, hasn’t had a breakout role that has elevated him to proper ‘above the title’ status. Could The Devil’s Double, where he plays two roles, be the movie to do it for him? Well, it’s certainly a bold and memorable move.. Lee Tamahori’s movie looks at the life of Latif Yahia, an army lieutenant in Iraq in the late eighties. As if that wasn’t a heated enough setup already, Latif (Cooper) gets recruited – forcibly – to act as a body double for Uday Hussein, the eldest son of Saddam (also Cooper). It’s a tantalising premise, and indeed a completely different look at Iraq than anything we’ve seen in the cinema before. Subtle, it is not. You may have seen the posters depicting Latif/Uday covered in gold,...
- 8/11/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Leon)
- www.themoviebit.com
Dominic Cooper is proud of himself for tackling the role of Saddam Hussein's sadistic son in new drama The Devil's Double - because several actors turned down the controversial part.
The Mamma Mia! star takes on twice the work in the film, starring as Latif Yahia, an Iraqi man who was forced to work as a body double for Hussein's eldest son Uday, also portrayed by Cooper.
The Brit felt compelled to tackle the "incredible" script - and reveals several stars and moviemakers had refused to take on the project.
He tells FOX411's Pop Tarts column, "The story itself is incredible, I think a lot of actors and directors were tentatively scared of it when the script was first developed a few years ago, I know a lot of people decided not to take it on but I didn't fear that... I tried not to think about that too much, even now.
"It was real, this really happened to a man (Yahia) and he was emotionally and physically scarred from that."...
The Mamma Mia! star takes on twice the work in the film, starring as Latif Yahia, an Iraqi man who was forced to work as a body double for Hussein's eldest son Uday, also portrayed by Cooper.
The Brit felt compelled to tackle the "incredible" script - and reveals several stars and moviemakers had refused to take on the project.
He tells FOX411's Pop Tarts column, "The story itself is incredible, I think a lot of actors and directors were tentatively scared of it when the script was first developed a few years ago, I know a lot of people decided not to take it on but I didn't fear that... I tried not to think about that too much, even now.
"It was real, this really happened to a man (Yahia) and he was emotionally and physically scarred from that."...
- 8/11/2011
- WENN
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Political decoys are a quirky and fascinating sidenote in history. Violent dictators, keen to avoid assassination attempts from an oppressed populace, have often hired lookalikes to protect themselves from attack. Hitler, Stalin and Bin Laden are alleged to have employed the services of doppelgangers. Even legendary World War II British army chief General Monty had a lookalike in order to confuse German intelligence reports. The lookalike went on to play dual roles – himself and the General he was impersonating – in the movie adaptation of the story I Was Monty’s Double.
In The Devil’s Double, purportedly based on a true story, Dominic Cooper takes on the dual roles, playing both Uday Hussein (son of Saddam) and his double, the soldier Latif Yahia. Latif, much like James McAvoy’s character in The Last King of Scotland, is the audience surrogate in a baffling, totalitarian nightmare – here,...
Political decoys are a quirky and fascinating sidenote in history. Violent dictators, keen to avoid assassination attempts from an oppressed populace, have often hired lookalikes to protect themselves from attack. Hitler, Stalin and Bin Laden are alleged to have employed the services of doppelgangers. Even legendary World War II British army chief General Monty had a lookalike in order to confuse German intelligence reports. The lookalike went on to play dual roles – himself and the General he was impersonating – in the movie adaptation of the story I Was Monty’s Double.
In The Devil’s Double, purportedly based on a true story, Dominic Cooper takes on the dual roles, playing both Uday Hussein (son of Saddam) and his double, the soldier Latif Yahia. Latif, much like James McAvoy’s character in The Last King of Scotland, is the audience surrogate in a baffling, totalitarian nightmare – here,...
- 8/11/2011
- by John Nugent
- Obsessed with Film
Filed under: Movie News, Video, Hot Topic, Summer Movies, New Releases
The easiest way to describe 'Devil's Double,' Lee Tamahori's disturbing film about Saddam Hussein's sociopathic son Uday and his reluctant (to say the least) body double, Latif Yahia, is to call it "'Scarface' in the Middle East." But like any easy description, that one doesn't tell the whole story: unlike Tony Montana, Uday Hussein was born in full possession of the world -- or at least the part of it his father ruled -- and his richly deserved comeuppance didn't come until long after the story had ended. (The film is set during the first Gulf War, and Uday was killed by U.S. forces in 2003).
Yahia, for his part, never wanted to be the bad guy. He was forced to serve as Uday's fiday -- which means "body double, or bullet catcher," as the real...
The easiest way to describe 'Devil's Double,' Lee Tamahori's disturbing film about Saddam Hussein's sociopathic son Uday and his reluctant (to say the least) body double, Latif Yahia, is to call it "'Scarface' in the Middle East." But like any easy description, that one doesn't tell the whole story: unlike Tony Montana, Uday Hussein was born in full possession of the world -- or at least the part of it his father ruled -- and his richly deserved comeuppance didn't come until long after the story had ended. (The film is set during the first Gulf War, and Uday was killed by U.S. forces in 2003).
Yahia, for his part, never wanted to be the bad guy. He was forced to serve as Uday's fiday -- which means "body double, or bullet catcher," as the real...
- 8/11/2011
- by Michael Hogan
- Moviefone
Based upon the autobiographical novel of Latif Yahia, a body double for Saddam Hussein's son Uday Hussein during the late 1980s, director Lee Tamahori's latest film The Devil's Double (2011) stars Dominic Cooper in a double performance as both Latif and Uday, as the horrified lookalike must come to terms with serving under one of Iraq's cruellest and most sadistic men in power.
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- 8/10/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
In the film "The Devil's Double," based on a true story, Dominic Cooper plays two characters: Saddam Hussein's sadistic son Uday, and Latif Yahia, the man who was forced to become his double. Director Lee Tamahori talked to Back Stage about guiding Cooper as he tackled these extremely difficult roles and delivered two astonishing performances, and why Tamahori—who previously directed big-budget films "Die Another Day," "Along Came a Spider," "XXX: State of the Union," and "Next"—wanted to make this independent film.Back Stage: How did you work with Dominic Cooper to help him give his best performance as both characters? Lee Tamahori: To me, the best example of a twin movie was always David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers." The reason for that was Jeremy Irons always gave a terribly convincing performance of two separate characters. I always felt I was watching two different people. I then...
- 8/10/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Jessica Gardner)
- backstage.com
Actor Dominic Cooper is best known as the singing and dancing love interest in Mamma Mia, and will be popping up now on people’s radar as Marvel’s scientist Howard Stark in Captain America. But it will be his totally absorbing and alluring dual performance as one of the House of Saddam’s most evil members and his body double (‘fiday’) in Lee Tamahori’s (Die Another Day) The Devil’s Double that will place him firmly on the map. Cooper is a mesmerising chameleon of talent as ‘The Black Prince’ Uday Hussein and his unwilling servant Latif Yahia in this extraordinary real-life story adaptation, based on Yahia’s 2003 book of the same name, that switches between comic lunacy and terror.
In 1987, military man Latif Yahia (Cooper), a former classmate of Saddam’s eldest son Uday (also Cooper) with a strikingly similar appearance, is summoned to the Presidential Palace...
In 1987, military man Latif Yahia (Cooper), a former classmate of Saddam’s eldest son Uday (also Cooper) with a strikingly similar appearance, is summoned to the Presidential Palace...
- 8/8/2011
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Dominic Cooper's double performance as Uday Hussein and his stand-in means that more dictator flicks are guaranteed
The funniest thing I ever read about Uday and Qusay Hussein was that the guy who betrayed their final hideout was also the host who'd catered to their every iron whim – and that he finally grassed them up because they were obnoxious, demanding, entitled little brats.
To the last, it would seem, judging by The Devil's Double, which offers us a factually supercharged account of the toxic and violent relationship between Uday, Saddam's psychotic elder son, and his press-ganged doppelganger Latif Yahia. They're both played by Dominic Cooper in a batty, star-making double performance that is far more fun than the movie haphazardly slung around it.
Uday's a handful, living out some Baathist-inflected fantasia on De Palma's Scarface, shooting off guns indoors, plucking schoolgirls off the streets and raping them, exercising Caligulan...
The funniest thing I ever read about Uday and Qusay Hussein was that the guy who betrayed their final hideout was also the host who'd catered to their every iron whim – and that he finally grassed them up because they were obnoxious, demanding, entitled little brats.
To the last, it would seem, judging by The Devil's Double, which offers us a factually supercharged account of the toxic and violent relationship between Uday, Saddam's psychotic elder son, and his press-ganged doppelganger Latif Yahia. They're both played by Dominic Cooper in a batty, star-making double performance that is far more fun than the movie haphazardly slung around it.
Uday's a handful, living out some Baathist-inflected fantasia on De Palma's Scarface, shooting off guns indoors, plucking schoolgirls off the streets and raping them, exercising Caligulan...
- 8/8/2011
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – There is evil all over the world, as long as there are human beings whose lust for power overcomes any semblance of morality. Iraq seems to be ground zero for those consequences, broken from within and invaded from the outside. It is the surreal tale of Saddam Hussein’s oldest son Uday that’s outlined in “The Devil’s Double.”
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Dominic Cooper gives a raging performance as Uday Hussein, as well as portraying Hussein’s body double, Latif. The two characters are distinct and separate, and Cooper’s understanding of both is the highlight of the film. The story is based on the book by Latif Yahia, and showcases Uday as a sensationalistic pleasure seeker, a poisonous monster with a paranoid distrust of virtually everything, infiltrating every perceived enemy or simply using his false friends.
Latif is an effective Iraqi soldier as the film begins, who had attended...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Dominic Cooper gives a raging performance as Uday Hussein, as well as portraying Hussein’s body double, Latif. The two characters are distinct and separate, and Cooper’s understanding of both is the highlight of the film. The story is based on the book by Latif Yahia, and showcases Uday as a sensationalistic pleasure seeker, a poisonous monster with a paranoid distrust of virtually everything, infiltrating every perceived enemy or simply using his false friends.
Latif is an effective Iraqi soldier as the film begins, who had attended...
- 8/8/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
3. The Devil's Double Dominic Cooper gives an epic, career turning dual performance in an otherwise flimsy tale of excess and unchecked insanity. The Devil's Double is the mostly true story of Latif Yahia, an Iraqi tortured into becoming the body double of Saddam Hussein's insane son, Uday. Director Lee Tamahori coats Latif's real life story with an oily gloss, removing a lot of it's true power.
- 8/7/2011
- by Travis Hopson
- Punch Drunk Critics
A triumph for Dominic Cooper, The Devil's Double doesn't quite deliver as a film. Here's Nick's review...
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, they say. But what happens when this power is first wielded by a family already beyond the limits of human behaviour, and then loaned to a decent man?
The Devil's Double is based on a true story which is so incredible, unbelievable and intriguing that it simply had to be made into a film. Set during the late 80s to the mid-90s, it tells the tale of Iraqi soldier, Latif Yahia, a man who, due to a close resemblance to Uday Hussein, son of Saddam, was forced into posing as a double of the sadistic younger Hussein, a man so decadent, wanton and brutal that Saddam himself disinherited him from the succession, preferring Uday's younger and apparently more ‘stable' brother.
Latif is surgically altered to be even more of a copy,...
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, they say. But what happens when this power is first wielded by a family already beyond the limits of human behaviour, and then loaned to a decent man?
The Devil's Double is based on a true story which is so incredible, unbelievable and intriguing that it simply had to be made into a film. Set during the late 80s to the mid-90s, it tells the tale of Iraqi soldier, Latif Yahia, a man who, due to a close resemblance to Uday Hussein, son of Saddam, was forced into posing as a double of the sadistic younger Hussein, a man so decadent, wanton and brutal that Saddam himself disinherited him from the succession, preferring Uday's younger and apparently more ‘stable' brother.
Latif is surgically altered to be even more of a copy,...
- 8/7/2011
- Den of Geek
Dominic Cooper is riding high with Captain America and The Devil's Double, but the Londoner still wouldn't turn down a good zombie movie
It's a bit of an adjustment meeting Dominic Cooper on the rooftop of a private members' club in Covent Garden. He's in a dapper black suit and sunglasses and it's hard to square this Dominic Cooper, the faintly metrosexual one, with the nice manners and a fine line in self-deprecating humour with the homicidal, deranged Dominic Cooper I've just watched in his new film The Devil's Double.
He orders a restrained glass of sparkling mineral water, an act entirely at odds with the most vivid memories of him in the film: raping a bride on her wedding night, abducting a schoolgirl virgin and commanding the clientele of a Baghdad nightclub to strip naked. Although as roles go, it's the plummiest of plum parts, the kind of thing...
It's a bit of an adjustment meeting Dominic Cooper on the rooftop of a private members' club in Covent Garden. He's in a dapper black suit and sunglasses and it's hard to square this Dominic Cooper, the faintly metrosexual one, with the nice manners and a fine line in self-deprecating humour with the homicidal, deranged Dominic Cooper I've just watched in his new film The Devil's Double.
He orders a restrained glass of sparkling mineral water, an act entirely at odds with the most vivid memories of him in the film: raping a bride on her wedding night, abducting a schoolgirl virgin and commanding the clientele of a Baghdad nightclub to strip naked. Although as roles go, it's the plummiest of plum parts, the kind of thing...
- 8/6/2011
- by Carole Cadwalladr
- The Guardian - Film News
The Devil’s Double is the disturbing and mostly true tale of Latif Yahia, a well to-do Iraqi man who is forced to become the body double of Uday Hussein, the sadistic elder son of dictator Saddam Hussein. Dominic Cooper (An Education, Captain America), in what is sure to be a star turn, impressively fills both roles. Cooper’s performance absolutely makes this movie, but despite a strong first half, it is director Lee Tamahori (The Edge, Die Another Day) who ultimately drops the ball. The result is a very uneven film, one that goes from an interesting character study of two wildly different men to an unnecessary action film by the third act.
But let’s talk about the film’s lead(s). Cooper is insanity and excess personified as the psychotic Uday, while channeling a kind of quiet sadness as the principled body double Latif. Uday’s paranoid...
But let’s talk about the film’s lead(s). Cooper is insanity and excess personified as the psychotic Uday, while channeling a kind of quiet sadness as the principled body double Latif. Uday’s paranoid...
- 8/5/2011
- by Will Perkins
- DorkShelf.com
Have you ever not wanted to see a film, only to leave the theater having witness what you believe is an Oscar-worthy performance? Just wait until nominations are announced and you see Dominic Cooper as a contender. This 33-year-old British actor is stupendous in “The Devil’s Double” and makes you weep inside for the suffering his real-life character, Latif Yahia, endured under Saddam Hussein’s bloody rule of Iraq. I never wanted to see “The Devil’s Double.” Who wants to watch more about Iraq and see our nation's needless plundering that killed millions and...
- 8/5/2011
- by Carole Mallory
- The Wrap
The Devil’s Double
Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Cast: Dominic Cooper
Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: August 5, 2011
Plot: A man (Cooper) with a strong physical appearance to Saddam Hussein’s son Uday (Cooper) is hired to be his double.
Who’S It For?: Filmgoers who like movie misogyny, presentations of power, and shiny things might find the movie enticing in some materialistic way. History-minded folk might find a more exciting telling of Latif Yahia’s strange story in one his many books – “I Was Saddam’s Son” is only $949.52 on Amazon.com!
Expectations: From a single glance at both the movie’s poster and trailer, The Devil’s Double looked like it would be a unique summer movie experience. Especially when browsing this summer’s list of PG-13 book adaptations and comic book heroes, the concept of a movie about a villain, especially a Hussein, seemed...
Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Cast: Dominic Cooper
Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: August 5, 2011
Plot: A man (Cooper) with a strong physical appearance to Saddam Hussein’s son Uday (Cooper) is hired to be his double.
Who’S It For?: Filmgoers who like movie misogyny, presentations of power, and shiny things might find the movie enticing in some materialistic way. History-minded folk might find a more exciting telling of Latif Yahia’s strange story in one his many books – “I Was Saddam’s Son” is only $949.52 on Amazon.com!
Expectations: From a single glance at both the movie’s poster and trailer, The Devil’s Double looked like it would be a unique summer movie experience. Especially when browsing this summer’s list of PG-13 book adaptations and comic book heroes, the concept of a movie about a villain, especially a Hussein, seemed...
- 8/5/2011
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Two words easily sum up the reasons why you should run out and see The Devil's Double this weekend: Dominic. Cooper. His dual performance as Uday Hussein, the dangerously crackpot son of Saddam, and as Latif Yahia, the man hired to play his body double, is a tour de force. Based in part on Latif's memoir, the film is a terrifying look into the world of a monster, and yet Lee Tamahori's shoddy...
- 8/5/2011
- by Travis Hopson
- Punch Drunk Critics
Dominic Cooper has a dual starring role in The Devil's Double, released in the UK by Icon Film Distribution on August 10.
The actor can also be seen in Marvel's current release Captain America: The First Avenger, in which he plays Iron Man's father Howard Stark, and was previously in Tamara Drewe, An Education and The Duchess.
As The Devil's Double gears up to hit cinemas, we have a video report in which Cooper, the real double Latif Yahia and Dominic's co-star Ludivine Sagnier introduce the UK premiere of the film. Screenwriter Michael Thomas, who adapted Latif's autobiographical novel for the big screen, also appeared at the event.
We also have some new posters for the release, plus a trailer remix by American VJ Mike Relm. For the trailer and stills from the film, see my earlier report here.
Based on true events, director Lee Tamahori's movie begins in...
The actor can also be seen in Marvel's current release Captain America: The First Avenger, in which he plays Iron Man's father Howard Stark, and was previously in Tamara Drewe, An Education and The Duchess.
As The Devil's Double gears up to hit cinemas, we have a video report in which Cooper, the real double Latif Yahia and Dominic's co-star Ludivine Sagnier introduce the UK premiere of the film. Screenwriter Michael Thomas, who adapted Latif's autobiographical novel for the big screen, also appeared at the event.
We also have some new posters for the release, plus a trailer remix by American VJ Mike Relm. For the trailer and stills from the film, see my earlier report here.
Based on true events, director Lee Tamahori's movie begins in...
- 8/5/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
British actor Mem Ferda, who portrays Kamel Hannah, Saddam Hussein’s body guard and food tester, in the new biographical drama ‘The Devil’s Double,’ attended the New York and UK premieres for the film. The New York premiere was held on July 25, 2011, in anticipation of the movie’s North American release on July 29. The actor attended the premiere with his co-star, fellow British actor Dominic Cooper, who portrays Latif Yahia and Uday Hussein in the film. Ferda then attended the UK premiere of ‘The Devil’s Double’ on August 1 at London’s Vue Cinema in Leicester Square. He once again attended the premiere with Cooper, as well as Yahia. Ferda...
- 8/5/2011
- by karen
- ShockYa
On paper, the decision to cast Dominic Cooper as Uday Hussein and his body double, Latif Yahia, in The Devil's Double is as surprising as Peter Sellers turning up as an Indian in The Party. Thankfully, advances in make up and Cooper's naturally swarthy looks meant that he did not have to get out the boot polish in order to play an Iraqi.
- 8/4/2011
- The Independent - Film
By Christine Kearney
New York (Reuters) - It's still very early. In fact, it's not yet awards season in Hollywood, but already movie fans might have their first bona fide contender for this year's best actor Oscar.
Briton Dominic Cooper gives what critics are calling a brilliant performance in dual roles of the brutal, sadistic Uday Hussein -- the son of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein -- and his emotionally conflicted body double, Latif Yahia, in new movie "The Devil's Double."
His role in the film, which hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles last Friday and expands around the United States in coming weeks, scored Cooper a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival when it premiered there earlier this year.
Add to that bit of bravura that Cooper is coming off an acclaimed performance in 2009's "An Education" and is currently showing versatility in this summer's big-budget "Captain America: The First Avenger,...
New York (Reuters) - It's still very early. In fact, it's not yet awards season in Hollywood, but already movie fans might have their first bona fide contender for this year's best actor Oscar.
Briton Dominic Cooper gives what critics are calling a brilliant performance in dual roles of the brutal, sadistic Uday Hussein -- the son of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein -- and his emotionally conflicted body double, Latif Yahia, in new movie "The Devil's Double."
His role in the film, which hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles last Friday and expands around the United States in coming weeks, scored Cooper a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival when it premiered there earlier this year.
Add to that bit of bravura that Cooper is coming off an acclaimed performance in 2009's "An Education" and is currently showing versatility in this summer's big-budget "Captain America: The First Avenger,...
- 8/4/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
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