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| | Salesrank: 192131
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| Our Price: $66.00 |
| Used Price: $4.45 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The lethal business of arms dealers provides an electrifying context for the black-as-coal humor of Andrew Niccol's Lord of War. Having proven his ingenuity as the writer of The Truman Show, and writer-director of Gattaca and the under-appreciated Simone, Niccol is clearly striving for Strangelovian relevance here as he chronicles the rise and inevitable fall of Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), a Ukrainian immigrant to America who makes his fortune selling every kind of ordnance he can get his amoral hands on. With a trophy wife (Bridget Moynahan) who's initially clueless about his hidden career, and a younger brother (Jared Leto) whose drug-addled sense of decency makes him an ill-chosen accomplice, Yuri traffics in death the way other salesman might push vacuum cleaners (he likes to say that alcohol and tobacco are deadlier products than his), but even he can't deny the sheer ruthlessness of the Liberian dictator (a scene-stealing Eamonn Walker) who purchases Orlov's "products" to expand his oppressive regime. Niccol's themes are even bigger than Yuri's arms deals, and he drives them home with a blunt-force lack of subtlety, but Cage gives the film the kind of insanely dark humor it needs to have. To understand this monster named Yuri, we have to see at least a glimpse of his humanity, which Cage provides as only he can. Otherwise, this epic tale of gunrunnng would be as morally unbearable as the black market trade it illuminates. --Jeff Shannon
Lord of War Reviews:
A LOST SOUL SELLS BIG GUNS 
2009-09-09 -
Andrew Niccol directs Nic Cage as weapons of mass destruction salesman Yuri Orlov who sells ordinance like the medieval church sold indulgences; spare us your morality, please, for church and Yuri, it's only about money.
Very dark humor pervades this shocking story of the personal and professional life of a Ukranian man who is in the business of supplying weapons to any country or rebel that can afford them. For a while his beautiful wife (Bridget Moynahan) is clueless and his drug-addled little brother is a poor choice as a partner. Amoral and frightening, this glimpse of the black-market gun trade is only bearable by the slight peek of Yuri as a human being and not the monster he has almost completely become. This is one of Cage's better roles. Cage seems to understands how the relentless drive for success can kill the last vestiges of a lost humanity.
Excellent Art Imitates Reality 
2009-08-21 - Absolutely love this movie. Very enjoyable but MORE IMPORTANTLY it makes a real statement about GREED in this world. I love it when Producers can create an entertaining movie that is almost like watching a documentary. We know it is a fictional story but has a strong theme of truth behind it. Hopefully movies like this will encourage people to think and maybe actually influence voters in the US and other Democratic countries to pay attention to what our great world leaders are doing.
ok movie 
2009-06-27 - The theme is compelling but I was a somewhat disappointed with the story line. There is some good action and a little suspense but it all just seemed to dissipate into something else.
3 stars out of 4
2009-06-10 - The Bottom Line:
Not only is Lord of War utterly fascinating, with good performances by Cage and Hawke, but unlike other movies that feature a protagonist making his living through things that kill people (like, say, Blow), Lord of War manages to both make us sympathize with the main character and yet realize how much he's helping evil to thrive; it's a film you'll remember and a film you should see.
Enjoyable as it is informative.
2009-05-29 - I thought this movie was well directed and well made. Although, it may not appeal to every audience because this film is paced as a documentary of Cage's character so there is plenty of dialogue and it may become rather boring due to the lack of action sequences. But the performance and depth of the casts truly makes up for it.
