The Devil’s Double, a movie about Saddam Hussein’s psychopathic son Uday and the body double whom he forces into a life of disturbing excess, may well be one of the first films of the year to get little screen time while receiving enough critical praise to carry it into Oscar season. Dominic Cooper’s performance as both Uday and Yahia Latif, the Iraqi army lieutenant who is unwittingly hurled into the terrifying enclave of Hussein’s family, will no doubt be one of the best of 2011. The film is set during the Gulf War at the height of Hussein’s, and by default, Uday’s power. Not unlike his father, who used multiple fidays (body doubles), Uday orders Latif to undergo a series of inner and outer transformations that make him a virtual carbon copy of himself. Fearing for the safety of his family, Latif reluctantly concedes to Uday’s demands and thus surrenders to the sexual and violent exploits of his maker while contemplating the costs of escape. Director Lee Tamahori depicts the early-90s, Iraqi backdrop with authenticity as well as using a solid supporting cast to its full potential. Although some may say that the film pays too much homage to Scarface-another great drama about the rise and fall of a psychopath-the similarities make this film all the more fun as it retells a true story that is wholly original.
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