War Dogs

I don't know enough about the original story to determine the accuracy of Todd Phillips's "War Dogs", but it's an enjoyable movie. The tricks pulled by David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli just go to show that the people in the business of weapons have no principles (even violating arms embargoes). They're out to make money by any means necessary. To be certain, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq proved quite profitable for weapons manufacturers. The mistake that Packouz and Diveroli made was getting caught.

It's not a masterpiece, but it does a respectable job showing the degrees to which these types go to enrich themselves. A very slimy world indeed.

This film tells the story of a message therapist who goes broke because his business venture of selling luxury bed sheets does not work out. He is recruited by his childhood friend to make big money by bidding on military contracts.

"War Dogs" touches on a mysterious aspect of the world which is not often talked about. Therefore, the story is already intriguing, and I want to find out what happens to the two guys. What they do might seem questionable to some, and their subsequent success gives much food for thought. The ending makes you think and reflect on the fine line between right and wrong; and how people can get caught up in their successes. Another god aspect is that despite the subject matter, the story manages to be funny yet still remains dramatic enough to be taken seriously. I enjoyed watching it.

Hangover/Due Date director Todd Philipps makes a film base on the true story of young, entrepreneur gun-runners David Parkouz and Efraim Diveroli who managed to secure a ridiculous contract to supply arms to the afghan army via the pentagon.

Miles Teller plays the struggling and ambitious David who bumps into his childhood buddy Efraim played by Jonah Hill who is somewhat of the opposite, a loose cannon, fearless and a little trigger-happy. Now, Efraim has found himself a little niche in the market, the market of arms dealing and strikes up small deals with the US military. David needs a job to support his expecting girlfriend, the stunning Ana de Armas who looks a little like Penelope Cruz only more beautiful and has one of those exotic accents. Efraim sees an opportunity for David and the two team up to what leads to the deal of the century for all parties involved.

Now, the film has plenty of other film references most notably Scarface, even one of the promotional posters is a respectful nod to the DePalma/Pacino's film. But it's actually Lord of War Efraim is a huge fan of in real-life and it's probably more like Lord of War than Scarface, yet it has tinge of Pain & Gain, another crazy true story movie. Maybe it's Miami? But it has that vibrant and funny yet serious storytelling style that makes the film almost unbelievable and shocking.

The rest of the cast does include Bradley Cooper who also produced the film, playing the harden, borderline war-criminal, pretty much the Branson of the arms market and someone you don't really want to be messing with. There's Kevin Pollack playing the bankroll and an awesome cameo of venture capitalist playboy millionaire Dan Bilzerian.

It's accompanied by a great soundtrack with tracks from 50cent, Beastie Boys, Iggy Pop, UB40 and CCR but the awesome score threw me completely thinking it was Harry Gregson-Williams or Steve Jablonski, no, it was Cliff Martinez with those ambient sounds.

The film is highly entertaining, funny in parts but this is not a comedy; its perfectly paced with some great scenes like the duo gun-running across the triangle of death and some nice camera work. However it's not to epic portions, not that it should put anyone off watching this, it's still a very watchable and enjoyable film and I don't think they could have done it any better.

Running Time: 8 The Cast: 8 Performance: 8 Direction: 8 Story: 8 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 5 for a slick story, good editing and a great score/soundtrack to boot.

78% 8/10

It's 2005 Miami. David Packouz (Miles Teller) is struggling as a masseuse. He reconnects with childhood friend Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill). Efraim has been buying guns from police auctions and reselling them online. There is a new government clearing house website for military contracts and he's looking to pick up some of the crumbs. David joins him after getting girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) pregnant. With dry cleaner Ralph Slutsky (Kevin Pollak) providing the capital, they start getting some contracts. Eventually, they meet unsavory arms dealer Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper) and get a massive Afghan deal.

This is unlike Todd Phillips' more famed comedic movies. It's not big laughs but it is a lighter look at a darker world. Jonah Hill gets chubbier to fit this character perfectly. He is a douche but he is not a threatening douche. He has just enough crazy but not uncontrolled. His chemistry with Teller is terrific. This is a compelling story told in a compelling and engaging way. It's great all around and an overlooked gem.

The movie starts off narrated, interesting and very cohesive. They do a great job of introducing characters and foreshadowing what is later to come. The characters are very well developed and their relationship especially at the start is funny and light hearted. The acting is great if you like films like "superbad" and "neighbour's".

The plot itself is based off a true story and is really interesting from start to finish. The action is great with slight comedy here and there. It has very wolf of wall street vibes and is a thrill ride.

When Bradley Cooper gets involved there is a lot of mystery and suspense. You really don't know whats gonna happen and your interest becomes even greater. The contract part was extremely predictable. The ending was very weird, without spoiling it, someone goes to jail for what seems a really short amount of time considering the crime. Then someone gets given money which is somewhat satisfying. But you really don't get a feeling of revenge or justice.

Summary: Overall I was really surprised at how good this was. Its not just your average comedy. It has great characters, acting, story, and is a blast to watch. Highly recommended.