Documentary or drama??  From the opening scene you are fully aware that Lord Of War has an agenda, and that it plans to hit you with it as brutally as possible.  Thinly disguised as a story about the life of an arms dealer, along side the drama there unfolds a stark presentation of armament and politics.   While the story is passable, with both acting and characters well done, the main agenda is the setting.  Cage plays the lead role with the necessary coldness, thawing only slightly in the scenes with his family.  Lord of War is highly enlightening, highly disturbing and yet highly entertaining.  It is not, however, a "feel good" film and will likely tarnish your impression of humanity.

~September, 2005