As told from the perspective of Latif Yahia, who was forced to serve as Uday Hussein's body double, it's impossible to tell how much of this horrific story is true and how much is embellished. Although we can safely infer that Uday was just as sadistic, monstrous, narcissistic and power- mad as this film portrays him, it's less clear whether Latif was actually as virtuous and heroic as he's made out to be. One thing is certain, however—Dominic Cooper's portrayal of both characters is an impressive feat, considering the challenge he faced. He must create two distinctly different characters whose physical resemblance is almost exact while simultaneously striving to make the two indistinguishable from each other. Although the film contains many compelling scenes of Uday's barbarism and macho excess (he kidnaps a 14 year-old girl for his pleasure, exacts revenge on his father's top aide for facilitating his father's infidelity, and rapes a bride on her wedding day), it's worth seeing for Cooper's performance alone.
Review of The Devil's Double
