Lord of War (2005)

A new flick from Andrew Niccol (the guy who directed Gattaca) starring Nicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke.
It’s about international arms smuggling originating from former Soviet Union territories and how the US gets tangled up in the mess—which is likely why it didn't crush it at the US box office. The story draws some inspiration from the actual "business" conducted by Victor Bout, one of those major arms traffickers operating in Africa. They even used one of his planes for the shoot.
The movie isn't just mindless action; it tries to push you to think about developing nations and how to actually help them, throwing some heavy moral dilemmas your way.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the lack of excessive special effects or typical Hollywood pyrotechnics, which is what you'd usually expect from a movie with this subject matter.
The protagonist narrates in the first person, a style I generally enjoy, though in this case, I found his monologues a bit too long-winded and draining.
Regardless, I found the film interesting.👍

The plot is a bit predictable, but that doesn't stop it from being an easy watch. Nicolas Cage delivers a killer performance—even if Jared Leto gets on my nerves a little at the start... though once he's deep into the coke, he's brilliant (really leaned into that role after Requiem for a Dream). This movie might just stick with me, mostly because that ending is damn good.👍

Peter Reed81 said:The movie tries to push us to think about developing nations and how to help them, forcing certain moral dilemmas on us rather than just being an action flick.

I don't think this film tries to force anything on us, unlike so many others. It simply shows the crap that happens every single day through the eyes of a character who is morally corrupt yet generally competent. He’s just doing his job—the only thing he knows and the one thing he's good at—and he doesn't dwell on morality. Because that sense of "morality," the idea that selling weapons is wrong or illegal, is being imposed by a government that is actually the world's largest arms dealer.
Like he said himself, if he won't do it, two other guys will step up to take his place tomorrow.
And the movie sticks to that. It never slips into unnecessary sentimentality or preaching. When the dictator (an incredible performance by Eamonn Walker) kills a soldier for no reason, our protagonist is mostly concerned with how he can sell the pistol used in the shooting since it's now been used. You can see on his face that he doesn't approve, that he thinks it's wrong, but he simply moves past it without overthinking it.
You can read all of that right on the face of Nicolas Cage. Brilliant acting.

Cage's lucid monologues also elevate the overall impression of the film. They feel like they were pulled straight from a novel; they are much better than the rest of the dialogue. "The main Russian export is weapons. Only after that do you get vodka, caviar, and suicidal novelists." 🤣

Visually, it's excellently crafted, featuring an interesting intro following a bullet that ends... well, just watch it. The scene where they strip down the plane. And then there's Cage's cocaine-and-gunpowder madness.
Great soundtrack, too.
A powerful film. It's been a long time since I've watched something this good.

Thanks for the tip on the movie. I really enjoy Cage and his filmography😁

👍

While I tend to be quite skeptical regarding any film starring Nicolas Cage, I found myself returning from this screening absolutely thrilled by such a brilliantly cynical masterpiece. It offers a profound, unflinching dive into the gritty realities of the arms trafficking industry.
This is certainly a film that will leave no one indifferent. It is an absolute must-watch!!👍

I think you might be thinking of Lord of War, though I suppose it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

It’s a solid film, all things considered.

The most fascinating aspect of this film is the fact that all the weaponry featured was actually sourced from real-world arms dealers.😲

Man, what a fantastic movie! Honestly, it drags for maybe twenty minutes too long, but it’s still such a blast. It actually restored my faith in Cage! It’s also pretty wild how much you can draw parallels between this and Midsommar.

It’s almost like someone shot a documentary about it...
Interesting, isn't it?

It’s a solid one regardless...👍

Arthur Richardson2 said:The best part about this movie is that every single weapon shown was actually borrowed from real-life arms dealers. 😲

This has to be a marketing gimmick.
I mean, what kind of logic is that?

it's happening

Lord of War sequel official with Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/nicolas...of-war-sequel/

I’ve sat through this flick at least five times now.

Total masterpiece. 👍

Cage is absolutely desperate for some cash

A truly magnificent piece of cinema... I find it highly unlikely that any sequel could ever hope to surpass the original's brilliance.🤔