War Dogs — Blue Fairy Film Blog

This film fuses two things that Americans flock to the theaters to see: Men getting rich through illegal means, and government incompetence. Both of these things make up the narrative of this film, based on the true story of two very young (21 and 25) kids who became international arms dealers through a loophole in government protocal. The film was written and directed by Todd Phillips of Hangover fame, and boasts a strong cast. Invoking elements of great crime films (that also showcase young men getting over their head in illegal dealings), War Dogs is a solid if hyperbolic film that asks the question, “How does this shit keep happening?”

The film is headed by Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, in yet another powerhouse performance. Hill’s interpretation of Efraim Diveroli, a smug, narcissistic sociopath with a violent streak, is a fusion of his character, Donnie Azoff from Wolf of Wall Street, and an unhinged Tony Montana, a character heavily referenced throughout. Hill and Teller play off one another fairly well, with Diveroli coming off as a strange bedfellow to Teller’s juvenile and clearly naïve David. Bradley Cooper gives an outstanding performance as actual terrorist Henry Girard, which should have landed him at least a Golden Globe nomination, which Hill did garner for his performance.

This film has a lot of similarities to Wolf, including that it is based on a true story, that it deals with unrepentant criminals, and that nothing really terrible happens to them in the end. Sure, they get their comeuppance in the form of government intervention, but even looking at the worst of their punishments, no one was truly dealt a whupping blow. Throughout the course of this film Efraim and David sell arms in a war that is unneeded and morally bankrupt, and through their actions, worst case scenario, people died. Throw in that the last of their illegal deals included 42 year old, defective artillery that could have killed members of our armed forces, and they are straight up murderers. The role of the government is limited to being straw man buffoons who can be easily fooled and have no ties to shadier, more cutthroat dealings in the Middle East. However you paint it, this is not a true account of how everything went down, and for that reason the entire film is suspect in its depiction of these two naïve boys from Florida, thrust into conspiracy by circumstance.