Yuri Orlov (Cage) is a Ukrainian-born American who with his brother (Leto) slips into gunrunning in the 1970s, moves into the big time in the sex-and-drugs-fuelled 80s, and finds his roots useful in the post-Soviet 90s. Supplying all sides in any conflict, he makes powerful friends, surpasses his main competitor (Holm), is dogged by a tenacious Interpol agent (Hawke), pursues a supermodel (Moynahan) and maintains a wry distance from the mayhem he's feeding. But can he hold it in balance?

Niccol writes and directs with intelligence and originality. Every scene is packed with astute commentary, which draws us into this unthinkable world and keeps us both hooked and horrified. But Cage's constant sardonic voiceovers and the steady rapid-fire dialog make it feel extremely talky. And it begins to overstate its case, which is extremely wearing. After the brilliantly elegant opening sequence, in which we travel the life of a bullet, everything else feels rather obvious.

So it's a good thing this is such a sure-handed film. The actors beautifully underplay their characters. Cage is perfect for this kind of role, dryly escorting us on a tour through his business with that twitchy poker face of his. He knows every law and loophole, and that the death trade extends to the top of the world's governments, all of whom convince themselves that "it's not our fight."

The way the film jets from conflict to skirmish over the past 35 years is breathtaking. Images and situations linger in the mind long after the film ends, as the weapons make their way from decaying superpowers into the hands of the most vulnerable in the Third World. There's a real sense that the natural order won't sustain this much longer. It's a complex, funny, intriguing film that carries an essential message. With a bit more subtlety (think Mamet's Wag the Dog) it could have been a masterpiece.

themes, language, violence, drugs

5.Sep.05