The Devil's Double

 While it's no surprise royalty and certain other folks need or have doubles, here comes the true story of Latif Yahia, a man recruited to be Uday Saddam Hussein's double. His family threatened, there is little choice left but for Latif to succumb to the control and ownership of the twisted Uday.  Fighting to keep his own identity alive inside, Latif shows some resilience in what he will not do despite Uday's strengths until he can withstand no more and take shots for himself on his own terms.

Dominic Cooper is stellar playing both roles of Uday and Latif, two men with distinctly different personalities as well as characteristics. We can always tell when Latif is himself and when he is pretending to be Uday. Creating unique traits for both characters, Cooper does a fantastic job keeping the men separate, restraining from playing the real Uday when Latif is the actual man putting on a show. 

His Uday is a man with few morals and a drug and alcohol infused constant abuse of power. His voice as high as the drugs he's on and his hands as lewd as he is foul-mouthed and disrespectful, this is a villain we despise from the start.  He's a loose cannon demanding to be dismantled.  Latif's relatively calm demeanor is steady throughout, bending only when pushed to the max as he refuses to be the man Uday is. Always retaining his sense of self, he is the hero to root for in hopes that he can one day escape from Uday and hoping the next moment will be when he enacts upon the plan.


Shot in Malta, the cinematography gives a great sense that the world is Baghdad. Warmth seeps into the color scheme and lighting, emphasizing the scorching sun. As politics take a back seat, the presence and use of American-view archives to explain the current events in the film is jarring considering the film is about Uday and his double, their interaction and relationship rather than the wars Iraq was in. While it helps the passage of time, it would have been better left out. 


A good story and strong performance in both lead roles. Torture and violence shown, viewers be advised


3.5/5