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Mathew Scott

War, Inc
Starring: John Cusack,  Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei,  Ben Kingsley,  Dan Aykroyd
Director: Joshua Seftel
The film: There are some corners of society where you'll find people who will tell you John Cusack is the thinking woman's fantasy duvet fluffer-upper. And he is here, in War, Inc, with all his seemingly effortless charm and you'll end up thinking that, hey, those people just might be on to something.
What War, Inc does is remind you of Cusack's undoubted talent - and that his turn in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) is perhaps the highpoint of his career so far. That's because the role he plays here is virtually a continuation of the criminal-with-a-conscience he played then.
And while War, Inc never quite matches Grosse Pointe Blank for  all its wicked twists and turns, it provides solid entertainment and  its fair share of laughs.
The entertainment comes courtesy of Cusack, playing an assassin brought in to help a fictional Middle East nation  which wants an irksome oil minister dealt with. Or at least the Americans who really run the country do.
But - again - Cusack's killer wants  out of the life he has found himself in and it is only when pushed to  do what he is paid for that his nasty - and cold - side reveals the demons his character is trying to keep tucked away. It says much for Cusack's talent that he can be convincingly good and evil in the course of the same minute.
Hilary Duff  (below) is the eye candy - she's the pop princess being used to draw attention away from the killer's plan - but  it is Marisa Tomei who captures  your attention. As the intrepid reporter who smells a rat (and quite likes him, too), her turn harks back to the kind of sexy-and-solid roles that helped American films of the 40s shine.
It might remind you that this is a star who has not only won a best supporting actress Oscar, she picked it up out of the rubble that was My Cousin Vinny (1992).
Cusack had a hand in the script and he wisely shares the laughs  with sister Joan, as his spaced-out assistant, and Ben Kingsley, coming in completely over the top.
Director Joshua Seftel loses the thread somewhat as he tries to tie things  up neatly (and perhaps make the film something it is not). But taken as entertainment, pure and simple, it's pretty hard not to let Cusack and his cronies take you in.
The extras: Inexplicably, given the talent on show, there are none available on the release that is  doing the rounds. But if you  want to troll the Duff-based internet chat rooms, you'll know the actress has done at least one interview earmarked for a future DVD package. So it might be best to bide your time.
The verdict: Cusack at his best - and that's  reason enough to watch.



War, Inc