One man demonstrates how to get rich selling warring nations the tools of their deadly trade in this dark comedy drama. Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is an opportunistic businessman who stumbled into a gold mine after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Huge caches of Soviet weapons became available at bargain prices (and even for free if one wasn't above stealing), and as literally billions of dollars' worth of Soviet military technology disappeared, it began finding its way into the hands of weapons dealers eager to sell it to the highest bidder. Orlov was one such dealer who found plenty of buyers for guns and military gear in unstable Third World nations, who paid cash and didn't appreciate too many questions. Orlov's exploits in the arms business quickly made him a very rich man, but they've also led to some unwanted attention from Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke), an Interpol agent who is convinced Orlov isn't playing by the rules. Inspired by a true story,

Too much talking and not enough action is the first and most powerful thought that came to my mind after seeing the movie. The movie was ok, it wasn’t bad by any stretch of the mind nor was it really that wonderful either. I think its problem is it was like straddling the line between fiction and movie make belief and couldn’t decide which to go with. The movie is based on true events and is a stark look into the world of gun running, death and war but also at the same time you know that some if not a lot of the movie is made up for the benefit of the moviegoer. You had to care about Yuri and despise him all at the same time and the movie does that. The story is excellent it’s the story telling that kind of falls flat on its face. I don’t think you could have sold the movie as a documentary or a reenactment, which the movie felt like at times. But also the movie would have just been another popcorn flick if you didn’t bring the truth of gun running into the picture as well. So the movie found itself in a catch 22, the movie is powerful, it is insightful, it is sad at times, it is entertaining at times and it is boring at other times all rolled into one picture that many audiences may not like.

I love Nicolas Cage and he can pull off almost any role you put him and that is why I love him. This movie is about Nicolas Cage and his ability to sell you the character he is playing. He is Yuri Orlov a gun running somewhat evil man that just can’t seem to escape his want for money and the dream. This movie doesn’t work without Cage as you almost need him to tell you his story and make you love him while you despise and hate him at the same time. While Cage is the front man, the man you hate and love at the same time Jared Leto is the humanity of the film. Unable to cope with the death their trafficking causes he finds himself led into a spiraling path of self-destruction that ultimately leads to the climax of the film. The movie will lead you one way or another whether it be emotionally or just mentally as the movie takes a look at what it means to be and arms dealer a lord of war.

With the conflict of Iraq foreshadowing the movie it is easy to wonder if the film makers would like to see an end to all the bloodshed and the baths of blood. The movie shows the evil of endless conflict, it shows the evil of constant death and bloodshed and it shows that not all the men involved in it are as evil as the acts their actions help perpetrate. In war one side doesn’t win and the other lose the movie shows that in some small way no matter who the victor is they both lose. Whether it be their humanity or their lives or the lives of their countrymen, war is a lose-lose situation no matter how you look at it. The movie points out that the US government is the leading arms trader in the world and as long as we lust for blood and bloodshed their will always be a war to fight and lose.
3 stars out of 5