- Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: R
- Run Time: 108 Mins.
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Blu-ray Release Date: November 22nd, 2011
- List Price: $39.99
[amazon-product]B005OJCI5M[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Devil’s Double on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
–
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Devil’s Double is based on the true story of Latif, a man who was forced to become the body double of Saddam Hussein’s son Uday (played by Dominic Cooper) during the late 80s/early 90s. During this tumultuous time, Uday feared for his life thanks in part to the rising issues surrounding the country his father, Saddam, ruled. The film essentially follows Latif as he is thrown into Uday’s world of fast cars, women, money and endless power. While this may sound good on paper, exactly what sacrifice will Latif have to pay? What results is a film that is highlighted by the excellent dual performance by Dominic Cooper.
Let’s be honest here, the concept behind The Devil’s Double has been done before….numerous times over. Scarface, Goodfellas and many others have all tackled the subject of sudden wealth, fame, power and the results it has. But what makes this one work (quite well I might add) is Dominic Cooper. Not only does Cooper hit Uday’s brash, cocky attitude on the head, but he essentially delivers an EXACT OPPOSITE performance with Latif. Latif, having just been thrust into a life he’s never lived in, questions himself at every turn. Latif is imprisoned and struggles daily with what he’s becoming. Cooper delivers these different characters so seamlessly that I didn’t even know it was the same actor until nearly halfway through!
I was skeptical on The Devil’s Double upon initial glance at the back cover as I had seen films like this before. While the plot isn’t all that original, the stunning deliverance of his performance by Dominic Cooper make this one worth checking out immediately.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The 2:35:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer is just about perfect. The film’s color palette focuses on the brighter side of the spectrum with gold, bronze colors dominating the film. Whether in the exterior desert shots or the interior palace moments, everything looks great. Detail is spot on, particularly that of the darker, night sequences. Here blacks are inky creating a solid image. Grain is kept to a minimum while the film’s print is in fine condition. I didn’t notice any real DNR or other effects that may hinder the transfer. I’ll easily admit that Lionsgate seems to know what they’re doing with day-and-date titles as The Devil’s Double marks another + in their win column.
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
The film’s provided DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is a true stunner. Dialogue is excellently reproduced via the center channel. Atmosphere is some of the best I’ve heard through my batch of recent titles. Whether the sounds of overhead jet fighters or discrete effects like gun fire or explosions, everything is well placed throughout the sound field. LFE is also deep and immersive, particularly thanks to the music. Take a listen during Uday’s birthday bash. The accompanying music adds some LFE that adds to that ‘party’ feel. All of this adds up and creates a truly effective aural experience.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The provided supplements are shown in full HD:
- True Crime Family – This runs just a bit of 16 minutes and features Dominic Cooper speaking on the characters he played.
- Double Down with Dominic Cooper – Running just shy of 9 minutes, this shows on Cooper played both lead characters.
- The Real Devil’s Double – This, running near 8 minutes, profiles the real Latif Yahia.
- Director Commentary with Lee Tamahori – Tamahori sits down for an informative, fun and well paced commentary that fans will surely enjoy. Of most interest is the different locales used for filming.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3.5/5]
The story of Uday Hussein’s body double Latif is brought to Blu-ray with a powerful performance by Dominic Cooper. Lionsgate continues to deliver excellent day-and-date titles and The Devil’s Double is certainly one of them. Highly Recommended.
Additional Screen Captures
–
[amazon-product]B005OJCI5M[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase The Devil’s Double on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
–
