The Devil's Double Directed by: Lee Tamahori Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi Rating: R Release Date: August 12, 2011
TRAILER SCORE: 5/10
Thoughts by TSR: Even after watching this trailer, it's a little hard to know what to think of The Devil's Double. On the one hand, I think that it could very well be one of the most promising films of 2011. It's an interesting concept and it is certainly a story that deserves to be told.
On the other hand, I'm a little nervous about the way that they're choosing to tell it. First and foremost, Dominic Cooper may have been the most talented man for the job, but I find it a little hard to believe that there were no Middle Eastern men who were cut out for the job. Without getting too political, The Devil's Double has a very Westernized approach to the material. In regards to the character in question, Uday Hussein, the decadent Westernized life of excess may be fitting for the character, but when Western influences bleed into every other aspect of the film, it's a little distracting.
Even the editing and the choice of music seems so much more focused on selling the image and the lifestyle than they are focused on telling a story. It makes for a visually engaging trailer, but ultimately, I can't help but be left with feelings of uneasiness about the material.i definitely think there's a story worth telling, so I'll give The Devil's Double credit for that, but its method of telling it is still a little suspect. Ultimately, I have high hopes for this one, but it looks like a clear cut case of style over substance.