Lord of War

In the flippant world of Lord of War, where the ch-chings of a cash register cheerfully replace the sound of gunshots, remorseless violence reigns supreme. Or at least it should. The shocking comedy of dealing arms without regard for their uses stumbles when the characters display some semblance of a conscience.

Nicolas Cage plays a veteran arms dealer with a Zach Morris cell phone who doesn't do it for the money, though there's plenty where that came from. He deals arms to third-world dictators because he's good at it. His brother (Jared Leto) needs blow to get a rush, but Cage's character gets his high from deal-making with despots.

The film is glibly written but admirably directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, The Truman Show). His characters speak only in didactic soundbites ("When there's a will, there's a weapon.") or intrusive voiceovers (Niccol would have benefited from the same screenwriting instruction Cage's character received in Adaptation). Nevertheless, the film, with a soundtrack that could double for The OC is fun because of the irreverent way it treats such a serious issue as arms trafficking. Only the nagging moments of humanity displayed by Ethan Hawke's cop and Leto's brother detract from the otherwise cheeky tone of the film.

Based on a true story, War wisely doesn't try to make Cage into a good person-there's nothing more boring or nauseating than a villain with a conscience. The resounding message of the movie is that evil prevails, and there's no use trying to change the nature of the universe. As Cage replies when a truce has rendered his guns no longer necessary, "Re-route [the weapons] to the Balkans. When they say they're having a war, they keep their word." There will never be worldwide peace, the UNSC countries will always tacitly or explicitly support arms trafficking and the enemy of your enemy is your friend.