Yuri Orlov (Nicholas Cage) and Vitali Orlov (Jared Leto) in Lionsgate Pictures’ Lord of War. Photo Credit Garth Stead

Nicolas Cage is one of those actors you can put in any role; the film can be absolutely terrible but he will always amaze you with his abilities. In the film, “Lord of War,” Cage plays an arms dealer who is cool, funny, good and bad all rolled into one. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing this character with such complexity and humor.

Cage’s character, Yuri Orlov, his drug addict brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto) and their parents are Ukraine emigrants, living in Odessa New York. Years of watching street shootouts and mob action have convinced Yuri that he has what it takes to make it big in the underworld. And boy is he right – in time, Yuri is a wealthy man with a thriving business, a beautiful wife and all the luxuries money can buy. He also has a brother/partner with a conscience and an Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke) on his tail!

The opening sequence of the film is, in a way, exhilarating. You follow the birth and death of a bullet, as it is punched out of metal, inspected, shipped, checked by numerous individuals, and then sent on to its target with all that implies. The film does not take sides, however, it is merely stating facts and leaving the audience to make its own individual judgments.

The plot has many twists and turns as it follows a number of years in the characters’ lives. Although, Cage never actually looks any different as years go by, he does mature and evolve, adapting his business and his personality to the changing demands of his increasingly violent world. “Lord Of War” is a smart, fun, gun film, (there’s two words that I never thought I could rhyme together), it makes you think about the implications of war and those who are affected by it. It opens a window into the mind of a strangely likeable monster and lets you make of him what you will. This isn’t the same film you may be expecting from the trailers. Rather, it is darker and more meaningful than it appears on the surface.

Rated R for strong violence, drug use, language and sexuality.
Running time 122 minutes