The Devil's Double out now: we review

Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror in Iraq is one of the most infamous in recent history. Riddled with corruption and insane with power, he is known for the sheer brutality with which he treated the people under his rule.

Directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, XXX: State of the Union), The Devil’s Double attempts to portray the extent to which the corruption of Saddam most definitely ran within the Hussein blood. A factional take on the biography of Latif Yahia, the fiday (or ‘bullet catcher’) of Iraq’s notorious ‘Black Prince’ and son of Saddam, Uday Hussein, it chronicles Latif’s life as body double to the devil incarnate, glamorised with a distinct Scarface feel.

If the events of The Devil’s Double are as true as the story they were based on, life in 1989 Iraq was a truly horrific one, especially for Latif Yahia. Torn from his army lieutenant’s position and threatened with the execution of his family should he attempt to contact them, he was forced to undergo surgery to become Saddam’s third son and shadow the life of one of the most criminally disturbed men in his country. Made to torture and kill, surrounded by disturbing scenes of sexual depravity and mindless violence, to be in his position would have been testing even for the most de-sensitised. As Latif struggles to escape the role that has been forced upon him, occurrences in The Devil’s Double are by no means suitable for the faint hearted.

Dominic Cooper, known for his roles in Mamma Mia and more recently Captain America: The First Avenger, stars and has his acting talents pushed to the limits, playing the roles of Latif, Uday and ultimately Latif pretending to be Uday. A commendable performance in all respects, it shows the true diversity of the rising star’s talents and proves him more than capable of handling such a demanding role.

It is the writing and direction that is perhaps the only questionable element with regards to character development and believability. Latif is portrayed as a well spoken, righteous man (which he may well be), but it is by all means likely that Latif’s story is somewhat biased, especially considering Latif himself was a key influence on the film’s production, and this detracts from the plot’s credibility. Uday, although well-known for his complete and utter insanity, can sometimes come across as a psychotic reincarnation of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat, making some scenes laughable when perhaps they shouldn’t be. This is in no way a fault of Cooper, as he plays the parts he has been given with the utmost passion and conviction, and will no doubt receive a lot more Hollywood attention as a result.

The Devil’s Double is an entertaining production, providing sufficient thrills and shocking scenes to hold an audience until the end credits. A throwback to the gangster films of the '70s and '80s, it echoes many elements of them very successfully, but unfortunately doesn’t meet the same overall standard. Although it was the writer’s intention to take a true story and build a work of fiction around it, it is this very principle that prevents the film from being the gritty re-enactment that it could have been. Although enjoyable enough on the first watch, it’s unlikely that any aspect of this Devil will have you do a double-take.

6/10