...absorbing, even as it makes hamfistedly obvious moral points along the way.
Lord of War (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:138
Fresh:85
Rotten:53
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: While Lord of War is an intelligent examination of the gun trade, it is too scattershot in its plotting to connect.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence, drug use, language and sexuality
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Genre: Thriller, Theatrical Release
Theatrical Release:Sep 16, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $24,033,036
Synopsis: Based on actual events, this black comedy/drama stars Nicholas Cage as international arms smuggler Uri Orlov. The story follows Uri from his humble beginnings as a Soviet immigrant in 1970s... Based on actual events, this black comedy/drama stars Nicholas Cage as international arms smuggler Uri Orlov. The story follows Uri from his humble beginnings as a Soviet immigrant in 1970s Brooklyn and peaks with his involvement in selling off the stockpiled arsenal of post-Cold War Ukraine to--among other top clients--the sadistic African dictator André Baptiste, Sr. (Eamonn Walker). Jared Leto costars as Uri's little brother Vitaly, whose conscience and a burgeoning cocaine problem get in the way of business. Ethan Hawke is good as a sanctimonious Interpol agent with a vendetta against Uri, but the film's biggest dose of onscreen gravitas comes from Walker, whose Baptiste seethes with a heavy, serpent-like malevolence. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the film makes fine use of the brisk stream-of-consciousness narration style that Martin Scorcese brought to the true crime genre with GOODFELLAS (1992), and a near constant flow of action and classic rock songs that ensure a speedy, riveting ride through three decades of global carnage. Cage, who coproduced, lets his patented oddball magnetism slowly change polarity, until viewers realize they've been led into a moral quagmire by falling for his self-delusory spiels about supply and demand, making this one of the bravest and most jet-black comedies of its decade. [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ian Holm, Sammy Rotibi, Eamonn Walker
Director: Andrew Niccol
Director: Andrew Niccol
Screenwriter: Andrew Niccol
Producer: Philippe Rousselet, Norm Golightly
Composer: Antonio Pinto
Producer: Nicolas Cage
Studio: Lions Gate Films
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Reviews for Lord of War
An arresting and disturbing piece of work that gets its message across without coming off as overly preachy.
Once you are trapped into being interested in the characters you may find you are learning more about the business than you really wanted to know and a lot that you hope is untrue. Sadly, there seems to be a uniform real ring of truth.
(Nicolas) Cage might just dip a toe into early Oscar consideration with this outing. He's that good.
Cage is perfectly cast and he's on top form here, subtly combining elements from both his action movie persona and his more quirky, off-kilter performances.
Niccol squeezes his cartoonish irony for pathos, as if retelling Superman from the dark side but softening it to make us lament, 'Poor Lex Luthor. Poor, lost Lex Luthor'.
It's told in a shaky balance of values and one could leave the theatre wondering if they've been entertained or criminalized.
[W]hile the film is powered by a righteous anger, it is also very funny, stylish and daring.
Here’s an interesting dramatic film that’s looking for a demographic.
Amir Mokri's thought-filled camerawork and Zach Staenberg's editing are first-rate and keep the overstuffed plot at least in discernible motion, but, truth to tell, Niccol ... has too much on his mind here and not enough film to tell it.
It's one of this year's most ambitious movies, and also one of the angriest.
Lord Of War drops the hammer slowly, laying out the fascinating parameters of Cage's world before opening up its argument in an astonishing denouement.
If it wasn't for the great acting, a solid script and strong direction, this would be a tiresome movie.
A clever, engaging and thought-provoking view into a world few know anything about.
Latest News for Lord of War
September 14, 2006:
Box Office Guru Preview: Rock's "Gang" Aims to Score Big
Following the worst box office weekend in three years, Hollywood has nowhere to go but up. It hopes. More...
August 09, 2006:
Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"
This week at the movies, we've got Oliver Stone paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11 ("World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage); two youngsters trying to start a... More...
May 11, 2006:
Roland Emmerich's "10,000 B.C." Begins!
Big-budget spectacle-maker Roland Emmerich just began production on his "10,000 B.C." for Warner Bros. The large-scale old-school period piece will shoot mainly in... More...
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| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
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| 90% 90% | District 9 |
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