Directed by:
Todd PhillipsCinematography:
Lawrence SherComposer:
Cliff MartinezCast:
Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Ana de Armas, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Pollak, Shaun Toub, JB Blanc, Patrick St. Esprit, Gabriel Spahiu, Andrei Finti, Ashley Spillers (more)Plots(1)
Based on a true story, "Arms & the Dudes" follows two friends in their early 20s (Hill and Teller) living in Miami during the Iraq War who exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a $300 million deal to arm the Afghan Military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government. (Warner Bros. UK)
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Reviews (9)
A decent comedy that turns into a drama and works. Now I know what to do when my girlfriend gets pregnant. The rather slow introduction and a few quiet sequences are a shame. If it wasn’t for Hill, the movie would be half-baked. The annoying, put-on laughter alone is Oscar standard. A good soundtrack. Screw the American taxpayer.
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If I were to run a percentage analysis of all the important formal elements, it would look something like this: originality: 20%; screenplay: 70%; direction: 70%; actors: 60%; soundtrack: 120%, and you can easily guess the result. You can still watch it with the same glee with which a hirsute bum looks at a leftover sandwich in a trash can, and some of the scenes are downright schmaltzy (the Kalashnikov test to the accompaniment of “Wish You Were Here”, for example), but this film should have been made fifteen years ago so as not to give the overpowering impression that all its key ingredients have already been used many times elsewhere. Despite the great criticism of the global arms industry and the war business, War Dogs is, first and foremost, just another film about the steep rise and subsequent fall of two ambitious young men, whose relationship is not analysed in much detail and is more or less for effect; unlike Lord of War, which was much more tightly focused and, after all, more formally interesting. Strong three stars should do.
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It is alright to look at, but War Dags is still a terribly pointless film. The humour is surprisingly absent (given the comedy director) and doesn’t have anything else to offer in other aspects. In order to be the next Wolf of Wall Street or the next The Big Short (which have a similar premise, about cunts who become rich thanks to to being cunts), this film would need more interesting characters, a more surprising and original script, and a more polished style.
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Pleasant one-off. Too politically correct and a bit simplistic, but as a sequence of funny scenes with the great acting tandem of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, it's fine. If you don't see it, you're not missing out on anything groundbreaking, but as light entertainment that so peripherally winks at the absurdities of war conflicts, the fact that it's money laundering, and shows the "beauty" of Albania (and the fact that there are good businessmen there too), it's OK.
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Jonah Hill is pretty fat in this one, but he's also pretty good. Miles isn't bad, but Jonah stands out. The story is interesting, among other things, because it actually happened. But it also shows what is possible in today's world. The question arises: is it even worth wanting so much money at any cost, or would simply being a masseur be enough?
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Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures
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