Dominic Cooper plays not one but two roles in The Devil's Double, a suspenseful drama about Saddam Hussein's son Uday and his political decoy.
Directed by Lee Tamahori whose previous works include the 007 movie Die Another Day, The Devil's Double follows Iraqi Latif Yahia(Dominic Cooper) who is chosen by Saddam Hussein's(Philip Quast) son Uday Hussein(also Dominic Cooper) to be his fiday, otherwise known as a political decoy. Forced into a lifestyle that he despises, Latif must step into the shoes of Uday and live among his excess lifestyle of sex, drugs and brutality.
The film gives a very raw and brutal portrayal of how innocent people were treated under Uday's control, with intense violent scenes such as kidnapping school girls and brides for sex, and gut-slashing murders. Lee Tamahori captures a very gritty and vicious picture of Iraq, showing how far Uday went to obtain power and whatever else he wanted. The film's narrative is both captivating and leaves you at the edge of your seat, all of which happens thanks to Dominic Cooper's impeccable portrayal of both Latif and Uday.
Dominic Cooper, who is a rising British star was previously only seen in supporting roles. From his turn as Sky in Mamma Mia!, Charles Grey in The Duchess and most recently Howard Stark in this Summer's Captain America, Cooper has not had much chance to show off his talent. But all that is about to change, as his dual roles in this movie shows off his brilliant acting capabilities. Cooper implements different emotions, movement and accents to create two very different characters in Latif and Uday, and plays both so well it makes you question whether or not there is actually two of him and not just one. He brilliantly handles the sadistic playboy ways of Uday very well, and contrasts that to the virtuous Latif, often having to act opposite himself in many scenes as well.
One letdown to this film however, is the unnecessary character of Sarrab, portrayed by French actress Ludivine Sagnier, who serves little to no purpose to the film's plot. She is merely there to seduce Latif and engage in a risqué sex scene. Thankfully however, Dominic Cooper's flawless performance overshadows that weak subplot.
The Devil's Double should put Dominic Cooper under the Academy's radar come awards season, catapulting him to male lead status in Hollywood. His immense talent should not go unnoticed, and his portrayal of dual roles in the movie should at the least earn him a nomination in the Best Actor category.
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