Pun Salad

Nicolas Cage plays Yuri Orlov, a Ukrainian immigrant who, tired of working in his dad's restaurant, one day decides to become an international arms dealer. (Who knew it was that simple?) This movie is kind of like Scarface, showing Yuri's quick rise to the top of his perilous and unsavory profession. Also, there is a hot woman involved, played by Bridget Moynahan, who eventually tires of all the shenannigans.

There are frequent laughs in the movie, as when Yuri gets arrested by an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. "Let me guess," Yuri says, "this isn't about the alcohol or tobacco."

The conflict between Yuri's cynical realism and moral stridency in the movie really grates, though. Throw in some cheap anti-Americanism and things get pretty tedious. The screenwriter, Andrew Niccol, also did The Truman Show, so this is pretty disappointing.