{"id":130,"date":"2006-01-27T13:53:43","date_gmt":"2006-01-27T18:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/?p=130"},"modified":"2022-10-26T18:55:03","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T22:55:03","slug":"lord-of-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/lord-of-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord of War is a Nicolas Cage treasure hidden in plain sight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I initially dismissed Lord of War<\/em> when the trailers and posters first appeared. In other words, it got caught in the crude mental filters that routinely handle my first-pass “ignore” of all the crap that flows through my eyes and ears all day every day. But when my regular email newsletter from Amnesty International<\/a> endorsed the film, it seemed possible this was something more substantial than National Treasure<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it is. In an impressive marketing slight-of-hand, Lions Gate marketed it as an action comedy. But like Syriana<\/em>, Lord of War<\/em> is actually a very strongly-felt topical film loosely based on actual events. It has a more human and darkly comedic tone than Syriana<\/em>, which often felt like a very consciously-constructed intellectual puzzle. But on the other hand, Syriana<\/em>‘s strict focus is perhaps a virtue; Lord of War<\/em>‘s several dramatic plotlines involving the main character’s marriage and wayward brother don’t always sit very well against the larger themes of entrenched human violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For another Nicolas Cage<\/a> treasure hidden in plain sight, I recommend Ridley Scott<\/a>‘s Matchstick Men<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I initially dismissed Lord of War when the trailers and posters first appeared. In other words, it got caught in the crude mental filters that routinely handle my first-pass “ignore” of all the crap that flows through my eyes and ears all day every day. But when my regular email newsletter from Amnesty International endorsed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,2],"tags":[1339,1338,1100,1337,1336,153],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-4-stars","category-movies","tag-bridget-moynahan","tag-ethan-hawke","tag-ian-holm","tag-jared-leto","tag-nicolas-cage","tag-satire"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/01\/lord-of-war-feature.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa9lhB-26","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5264,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/nicolas-cage-panos-cosmatos-mandy-movie-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":0},"title":"Nicolas Cage descends into hell in Panos Cosmatos’s Mandy","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"January 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Panos Cosmatos's Mandy is what you would get if you crossed Straw Dogs with Hellraiser, co-directed by Tarkovsky & Jodorowsky. Do you think Clive Barker saw this and said \"hey, that's my thing\"? It's also the rare movie where Nicolas Cage's customarily crazed mania is juuuuuust right for the material.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "3 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"3 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/3-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nicolas Cage in Mandy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mandy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mandy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mandy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mandy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mandy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5680,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/sit-on-my-interface-hackers-is-a-90s-treasure\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":1},"title":"Sit on my interface: Hackers is a 90s treasure","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"November 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I can't believe I haven't had the pleasure until now. Energetic, funny, quotable, and scattered with fantastic montage sequences. The moment when Johnny Lee Miller sees Angelina Jolie for the first time is choice. And check the surreal imagery and avant-garde editing of its characters' erotic nightmares -- seriously; more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "4 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"4 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/4-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hackers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hackers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hackers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hackers.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hackers.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hackers.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1965,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/avatar\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":2},"title":"This’ll Ruin My Day: James Cameron Goes Down the Digital Rabbit Hole in Avatar","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"January 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Avatar is the perfect distillation of all of James Cameron's worst tendencies: an obsession with the marine corps (while trying to have it both ways: worshipping the hardware and lingo, but casting them as villains), embarrassingly heinous dialogue (undercutting every dramatic moment with somebody droning flat one-liners like \"oh shit\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"2 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/2-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Avatar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/avatar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/avatar.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/avatar.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/avatar.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/avatar.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":187,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/v-for-vendetta\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":3},"title":"Fascism by Common Consent in James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"March 25, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"For all the negative buzz regarding V for Vendetta writer Alan Moore's total disavowal of James McTeigue's adaptation, I was surprised to find that the film kept far closer to the book than I expected. Closer, in fact, than the two other travesties of Moore's comics, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "3 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"3 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/3-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"V For Vendetta","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/v-for-vendetta-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/v-for-vendetta-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/v-for-vendetta-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/v-for-vendetta-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/03\/v-for-vendetta-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1355,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/ridley-scott-kingdom-of-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":4},"title":"Repent Later: Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"January 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Ridley Scott's video introduction to the Director's Cut edition of Kingdom of Heaven claims it is more than a merely extended version of the film. The Director's Cut represents his intentions, and is \"the best version\" of the film. The most significant restoration he singles out is a subplot involving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "4 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"4 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/4-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kingdom of Heaven onesheet image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/Kingdom-Of-Heaven.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/Kingdom-Of-Heaven.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/Kingdom-Of-Heaven.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/Kingdom-Of-Heaven.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/Kingdom-Of-Heaven.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5293,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/charles-laughton-night-of-the-hunter-movie-review-1955\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":5},"title":"It’s a hard world for little things, in Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"April 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Night of the Hunter is a perennial source of fascination for cin\u00e9aste, both as a singular oddity in Hollywood history but also as a masterpiece in the truest sense: not only is it the best of what it is, it's the only. \"Beware of false prophets, which come to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "5 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"5 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/5-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Robert Mitchum in The Night of the Hunter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7816,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions\/7816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}