"Lord Of War"

This movie proved a big surprise. Following the trials and tribulations of Yuri Orlov (Nicholas Cage), a Brooklyn-based, second generation Ukrainian, as he enters the illegal global arms trade, providing corrupt African nations with the weapons they need to continue genocides against their own population.

Far from being an Amnesty International or other NGO-produced movie, Lord Of War looks at both sides of the argument, without making either look glamorous or the "right choice". Nothing about Yuri's job is portrayed as just and glorified, but neither is it wholly condemned as harshly as one might expect.

Ethan Hawke, as Agent Jack Valentine, provides Yuri's nemesis. His character is portrayed as an obsessively focussed agent, intent on bring down the illegal arms trade, and bringing Cage's character to justice. Ian Holm, who plays Simeon Weisz, a rival arms dealer, also puts in a great performance.

With an ending that is both satisfying and despairing, Lord Of War fails to fall into self-righteous preaching, at the same time as bringing to light one of the greatest crimes of this century and the futility felt by law enforcement that tries to curtail it. The ending script that comes up on screen before the final credits is somewhat damning and perhaps unnecessary, and the only time when the movie tries to point the finger directly at the UN Security Council, threatening the overall impact of the movie. It's good that this was kept to a minimum, though, otherwise the movie would just have devolved into a Liberal government-bashing piece.

One of the most impressive set pieces of the movie makes up the opening credits: the journey of a single bullet from creation to use. It's a very well put together, long sequence.

Far from being solely about the arms trade, Lord Of War is a detailed look into the characters of the people who get involved - Jared Leto's character in particular is in constant battle with his emotions and guilt, which eventually leads to his downfall, as his attempts to act as Yuri's conscience fall unheeded. Yuri's wife, Ava, struggles with the realities of her husband's job at the same time as not wishing to lose the comfort and luxury she has become accustomed to, eventually it gets too much for her, though.

This is definitely Nicholas Cage's movie, though. Cage plays his characters with exceptional aplomb; truly conveying the fastidious professionalism of Yuri. Be it his relationship with his wife, Ava Fontaine (the beautiful Bridget Moynahan), or his drug-addled, dysfunctional brother Vitaly Orlov (Jared Leto), Cage manages to inject realism and genuine feeling, making this one of his best roles in recent years - though, I personally didn't think he was that bad in National Treasure. Guilt, elation, greed, ambition, arrogance - all portrayed with equal skill and realism, as Yuri pursues his vocation, and deceives his family and friends.

Beautifully shot and written, the film traverses most of the globe, giving us exotic locales, the disease-ridden slums of Africa, high-rise glitz and glamour of New York rich and famous, and the quiet lower-class areas of Brooklyn.