Following a setback which forces him to suspend his gunrunning business, weapons trafficker Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) sees the bright side of it: at least there are still legal ways to exploit developing countries.
The slick observation sums up the philosophy of the protagonist in Lord of War, a satire directed and written by Andrew Niccol which seeks to expose the role played by superpowers in trafficking weapons to developing nations.
Yuri is a Ukrainian businessman who thinks nothing of selling guns to rebels and child soldiers. He struck gold after the collapse of the Soviet Union when hoards of guns were flushed onto the black market.
Yuri's fast ascent in the business is not without casualties - his beloved brother is killed by the very weapons he sells, and his family is torn apart by his dealings.
Cage, whose puckered eyebrows and wincing eyes suggest Yuri has a pinch of conscience, delivers a spellbinding performance.
The slickly choreographed scenes - including the opening where Cage stands on a carpet full of bullet casings - liven up a sombre subject.
