The Devils Double

Uday Hussein

A body double or body decoy is an individual employed to impersonate another to draw attention away from the real person for various reasons. The body double is chosen because of their strong physical resemblance to the person they are mimicking. This resemblance can be strengthened by plastic surgery and training to enable the decoy to speak and behave like the person being imitated.

With the help of screenwriter Michael Thomas, who was responsible for one of my personal favourite’s Scandal (1988) a film that dealt quite brilliantly with the Perfumo/Keeler affair, New Zealand filmmaker Lee Tamahori has provided us with a movie that demonstrates the concept of body doubles better than any film since 1959’s war based movie I Was Monty’s Double.

Latif Yahia

The Devils Double (2011) tells the story of Latif Yahia whose novel this film is based upon. Yahia is an army Lieutenant who is forced to become a body double for the eldest son of the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Uday is a playboy gangster who is completely out of control, other than his father no one is prepared to reign in his murderous psychopathic excesses that include kidnapping schoolgirls, rape and murder. This is certainly a chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein through the eyes of the man that was forced to loose his own identity and become someone quite different.

Ludivine Sagnier as Sarrab.

A exhilarating watch and an intriguing slice of recent history with a riveting performance from Dominic Cooper who plays both Latif and Uday, two essentially very diverse men. An actor does not get this kind of part very often and Cooper has obviously relished this once in a lifetime opportunity and nailed both characters in such a way that the viewer never looses track of which of the individuals your watching on the screen. I’m not sure if I found this movie fascinating because of it’s engrossing story line or because of Dominic Coopers chillingly effective and convincing portrayal’s. I would recommend this stylish film with the proviso that you take in to consideration its graphic nature. At least it’s quite obvious who the baddies are in this movie!!

An Education

Jenny and her friends.

If Nick Hornby is responsible for a screenplay then you can bet that the script will include some great lines, some of the best are reserved for Rosamund Pike as the dippy Helen and Emma Thompson as the Headmistress in An Education (2009). Directed by the Dane Lone Scherfig this movie on a second viewing is still a joy from beginning to end. Set in 1961/62 and based on journalist Lynn Barbers autobiographical article about her schooldays. This coming of age drama stars Carey Mulligan, who is a breath of fresh air as Jenny a very bright 16-year-old in her final year at school studying for a place at Oxford. One a wet afternoon on her way home from orchestra practice she is picked up by the suave David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard) in his rare Bristol 405 sports car. What follows is her seduction, not only by the ‘charming’ David, but also by the seemingly carefree lifestyle that he and his friends Helen and Danny (Dominic Cooper) enjoy. Jenny must decide where her future lies and does not get a lot of helpful advice from her lower middle class parents played by Alfred Molina in his best East Cheam manner and Cara Seymour as the rather more astute parent. This British movie was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress (Carey Mulligan) and Best Adapted Screenplay.