lLORD OF WAR :REVIEW

The riveting Lord of War takes a tragicomic, sometimes even satirical look at the bloody arena of arms dealership. Inevitable targets also include moral irresponsibility and the ruthless pursuit of the American Dream.
Director and screenwriter Andrew Niccol does not hesitate to point fingers, and his chutzpah is noteworthy in an era of play-it-safe filmmaking. Lord of War is an undeniably compelling movie but also a somewhat distant one. Directed with energy and style, it nonetheless suffers from an intriguing yet ultimately hollow lead character.
Nicolas Cage, in his best work since Adaptation, makes his amoral con artist so cunning that viewers initially have a dual reaction.
The moralist inside you will hope that he gets the fate he deserves. The moviegoer inside you will hope that somehow he escapes too harsh a punishment.
Mr. Cage's character of Yuri is a loathsome charmer, and his amoral loathsomeness overrides his charisma.
To Mr. Cage's and Mr. Niccol's credit, they beg for your understanding but never your sympathy.
Growing up in Little Odessa, the son of immigrant Ukrainian parents, the youthful Yuri realizes the lucrative nature of weapons dealership when he witnesses a mob killing. He justifies his chosen trade by thinking of himself as a businessman supplying necessary hardware to his customers.
Soon he's a millionaire, with a trophy wife in the form of a supermodel he's coveted for years. He also keeps his sweet, somewhat simple younger brother gainfully employed. That's a rather cornball touch, but apparently, arms dealers do have family values.
Mr. Niccol's visual flair is apparent in the opening credits, which follow the manufacturing of a bullet and conclude with its heading straight for the face of an African child. Other moments are more whimsical, including an air battle composed almost entirely for comic effect and a gun fair that turns into the kind of soiree that Hugh Hefner might host. Through it all, Mr. Niccol manages to keep the mood swings almost seamless.
The performances are largely on target, with Jared Leto overcoming his clichéd role as Yuri's too-trusting brother and Ethan Hawke effectively taut as a special agent doggedly on Yuri's trail. Bridget Moynahan's trophy wife is the screenplay's foggiest character, but Ms. Moynahan at least tries for something more profound than eye candy.
Lord of War definitely aims to be something more profound than brain candy. It gives moviegoers something to think about. If that recommendation sounds too dutiful, let it be known that it's exciting as well as thought-provoking.