Review of The Devil's Double (2011) by Kevin M. W — 22 Jul 2016

Whilst by no means the intense insight it promises to be, Lee Tamahori's film about Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an army lieutenant who is given the unenviable role as Uday Hussein's (also Cooper) body double, is consistently captivating, at least from a voyeuristic point of view.

The film never really feels like Latif's story, serving more as a depiction of Uday's wicked nature, and there are some missed opportunities regarding Uday's relationship with his immediate family, though his devotion to his mother Sajida (Frida Cauchi) is hinted at.

Despite its shortfalls, the performances are strong across the board (including Ludivine Sagnier and an unrecognisable Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein), and 'The Devil's Double' proves to be a worthwhile exercise into the ramifications of money, power, and excess.