The Devil's Double (2011)

A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein's sadistic son.

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Michael Thomas, Latif Yahia (books)

Stars:

Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dominic Cooper	...	Uday Hussein / Latif Yahia
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Sarrab
Raad Rawi	...	Munem
Philip Quast	...	Saddam Hussein / Faoaz
Mimoun Oaïssa	...	Ali
Khalid Laith	...	Yassem Al-Helou
Dar Salim	...	Azzam
Nasser Memarzia	...	Latif's Father
Mem Ferda	...	Kamel Hannah
Pano Masti	...	Said
Akin Gazi	...	Saad
Stewart Scudamore	...	Father of School Girl
Amrita Acharia	...	School Girl (as Amrita Acaria)
Elektra Anastasi	...	School Girl 2
Amber Rose Revah	...	Bride

Storyline

Baghdad, the playground for the rich and infamous, where anything can be bought - but for a price. This is Uday Hussein's world and with his depraved lust for debauchery and immorality, he helps himself to whatever turns him on. When army lieutenant Latif Yahia is summoned to Saddam's palace, he is faced with an impossible request - to be Uday's 'fiday' - his body double, or have his family condemned to death. In a world entrenched in betrayal and corruption, knowing who to trust becomes a matter of life or death for Latif, as he battles to escape from his forced existence.

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Plot Keywords:

betrayal | uday hussein | saddam hussein | palace | debauchery | 

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Taglines:

The 80's were brilliant, if you were in charge.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

18A

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Belgium Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 2011 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Đavolji dvojnik

Filming Locations:

Grand Hotel Excelsior, Malta

Box Office

Budget:

€15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$96,414 (USA) (29 July 2011)

Gross:

$1,357,042 (USA) (23 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Corsan, Corrino Media Corporation, Staccato Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Danny Boyle was considered to direct.

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Goofs

In the scene in which Latif's convoy of 3 black Mercedes arrive at a checkpoint (59:00min), bullet holes in the windscreen of the last car in the convey can be seen though its rear window, and can be seen again as the car leaves the checkpoint (59:15min). These holes are not apparent in other shots and it is only later in this scene that the cars come under attack, causing the windscreens to be shot out.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Azzam: [to Latif] Hey.

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Connections

Referenced in Double Down with Dominic Cooper (2011)

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Soundtracks

Relax
Written by Holly Johnson, Peter Gill and Mark O'Toole
Performed by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Produced by Trevor Horn for Horn Productions
Courtesy of Union Square Music Ltd
under exclusive license from ZTT Records Ltd
Published by Perfect Songs

User Reviews

The Devil's Double 10/10

I started loving this film within the first few seconds. This film has many redeeming features and I personally found it very enjoyable. Director Lee Tamahori brings a lot of the key Oscar-winning players of the Slumdog team back for this new film. Latif / Dominic Cooper The human connection element was most fascinating, as we wonder what we would do if placed in a similar situation ??? We are really "with" Latif on his journey, as we see him discover a reason to live and how his life perspective changes, not just how to get free from Uday Saddam. The Devil's Double, does not simply prove the point that humans will do whatever it takes to survive in dire circumstances. In fact, I might argue 9 of 10 people wouldn't do what Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) does in this film. The Devil's Double, A Definite must-see 10/10 stars.