The Devil's Double
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Double is a 2011 drama film
directed by Lee Tamahori
and starring Dominic Cooper
, Philip Quast
, Ludivine Sagnier
and Raad Rawi. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
and was released in limited theaters
on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate
and Herrick Entertainment.
(Dominic Cooper
) is an Iraqi forced to act as a fedai ("body double
", or political decoy
) for Uday Hussein
(also played by Cooper), the playboy son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
(Philip Quast
). Uday is a sadistic
psychopath who arbitrarily kills people, and rapes and kills young women after kidnapping
them from the street. Latif tries to stop him, but this only causes aggression from Uday toward Latif, and Latif's attempt to run away also. However, Uday does not kill Latif, because the latter is the best double that could be found.
awarded it 3.5 out of 5 and said "certainly a fresh perspective on one of the Middle East's most brutal dictators". CinemaBlend.com also awarded it 3.5 out of five and said "and while the film feels deeply flawed, Cooper is worth the price of admission." Rockstar Weekly awarded the film a positive review, saying "Hats off to director Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) for taking a controversial topic and turning it into a masterful film." However, the Los Angeles Times
gave the film a negative review, saying "The story of Uday Hussein's body double is relentlessly violent and lurid". Roger Ebert
awarded the film three out of four stars and said "All due praise to Dominic Cooper. It should have been more." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN said that it has a daring central performance, and that it works well as a thrilling potboiler. He rated it 3.5 out of 5. Nupur Barua of fullhyd.com rated it 7 out of 10, saying that Michael Thomas's screenplay never wavers for a second, and that you are made aware at regular intervals that all these extraordinary events truly took place once. Nikhat Kazmi from The Times Of India said, "meant for both history buffs and thriller addicts, The Devil's Double is politics made pacy," rating the film 3.5 out of 5.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Lee Tamahori
Lee Tamahori
Lee Tamahori is a New Zealand filmmaker best known for directing the 1994 film Once Were Warriors and the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day.-Upbringing and early career:...
and starring Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
, Philip Quast
Philip Quast
Philip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
, Ludivine Sagnier
Ludivine Sagnier
Ludivine Sagnier is a French actress and model, who has appeared in 33 films since 1989. She was nominated for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Swimming Pool and Un secret .-Early life:...
and Raad Rawi. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
2011 Sundance Film Festival
The 27th annual Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20, 2011 until January 30, 2011 in Park City, Utah, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah....
and was released in limited theaters
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
and Herrick Entertainment.
Plot
Latif YahiaLatif Yahia
Dr. Latif Yahia al-Salihi is an Iraqi born author, blogger, Ph.D in International Law, and former military officer in the Iran-Iraq War. Latif was forcibly recruited to be the body double of Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday Hussein....
(Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
) is an Iraqi forced to act as a fedai ("body double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
", or political decoy
Political decoy
A political decoy is a person employed to impersonate a politician, in order to draw attention away from the real person or to take risks on their behalf...
) for Uday Hussein
Uday Hussein
Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
(also played by Cooper), the playboy son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
(Philip Quast
Philip Quast
Philip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
). Uday is a sadistic
Sadism
Sadism is the derivation of pleasure as a result of inflicting pain or watching pain inflicted on others. Aspects of it include:* Sadomasochism* Sadism and masochism as medical terms, sadism and masochism as paraphilia...
psychopath who arbitrarily kills people, and rapes and kills young women after kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
them from the street. Latif tries to stop him, but this only causes aggression from Uday toward Latif, and Latif's attempt to run away also. However, Uday does not kill Latif, because the latter is the best double that could be found.
Cast
- Dominic CooperDominic CooperDominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
as Latif YahiaLatif YahiaDr. Latif Yahia al-Salihi is an Iraqi born author, blogger, Ph.D in International Law, and former military officer in the Iran-Iraq War. Latif was forcibly recruited to be the body double of Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday Hussein....
/ Uday HusseinUday HusseinUday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and... - Philip QuastPhilip QuastPhilip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in...
as Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003... - Ludivine SagnierLudivine SagnierLudivine Sagnier is a French actress and model, who has appeared in 33 films since 1989. She was nominated for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Swimming Pool and Un secret .-Early life:...
as Sarrab - Mimoun OaïssaMimoun OaïssaMimoun Oaïssa is a Moroccan-Dutch actor and screenwriter. He graduated from Amsterdam Theatre School in 1999 and followed acting lessons abroad. He was a stage actor from 1998 till 2001 and then quit to start acting on screen. His major films include Hush Hush Baby and Schnitzel Paradise...
as Ali - Raad Rawi as Munem
- Mem FerdaMem FerdaMehmet "Mem" Ferda is a British actor of Turkish Cypriot descent.-Biography:Ferda was born in Chelsea, London in 1963 to Turkish Cypriot parents. At the age of six, his mother took him to Cyprus, where his father was the Minister of Agriculture...
as Kamel Hannah - Dar Salim as Azzam Al-Tikriti
- Khalid Laith as Yassem Al-Helou
- Pano Masti as Said Kammuneh
- Nasser Memarzia as Latif's father
- Tiziana Azzopardi as Latif's sister
Critical reception
The Devil's Double has received mostly positive reviews, with critical acclaim given to Dominic Cooper's dual role. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded it 3.5 out of 5 and said "certainly a fresh perspective on one of the Middle East's most brutal dictators". CinemaBlend.com also awarded it 3.5 out of five and said "and while the film feels deeply flawed, Cooper is worth the price of admission." Rockstar Weekly awarded the film a positive review, saying "Hats off to director Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) for taking a controversial topic and turning it into a masterful film." However, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave the film a negative review, saying "The story of Uday Hussein's body double is relentlessly violent and lurid". Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
awarded the film three out of four stars and said "All due praise to Dominic Cooper. It should have been more." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN said that it has a daring central performance, and that it works well as a thrilling potboiler. He rated it 3.5 out of 5. Nupur Barua of fullhyd.com rated it 7 out of 10, saying that Michael Thomas's screenplay never wavers for a second, and that you are made aware at regular intervals that all these extraordinary events truly took place once. Nikhat Kazmi from The Times Of India said, "meant for both history buffs and thriller addicts, The Devil's Double is politics made pacy," rating the film 3.5 out of 5.