MovieChat Forums > The Devil's Double (2011) Discussion > How Much Of This Movie Is Factual?

How Much Of This Movie Is Factual?

posted 11 years ago by tbirdman-1
8 replies | jump to latest

I'm debating on whether or not to watch "The Devil's Double" because
I really would care to know just what percentage of this film was
based on fact about Uday Hussein's paid double. And on a related
note last year the NatGeo channel aired an episode of its excellent
series, Locked Up Abroad-Son Of Saddam which told the real story of
Uday's double. I watched the entire program and came away convinced
that this was the real true life story of what really took place in Iraq.
And now the person who'd been hired to impersonate Uday Hussein managed
to escape from Baghdad and make his way to safety in London where
he's lived for the past many years. And so can anyone who has
watched this movie give it a recommendation or not?

Lorenzo Sunny California

Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!

[–] aloep 11 years ago

I don't think any of it is factual. Latif Yahia is a liar and a fantasist, and by many accounts, also a violent thug. Portraying him as a noble hero against "evil" is ridiculous in itself.

[–] sebastian-andersson 11 years ago

Agreed. According to credible sources from within CIA and the like, persons and friends close to Uday, Latif Yahia actually never was Uday's double. It probably was his wish at the time though because he was arrested and imprisoned for impersonating Uday to hook up women. Not the other way round (that he was asked/forced to do it). And also, as said, he's hardly the heroic and gentle ladies man as depicted in the film- in the West, he began physically abusive relationships with women and took with him the ancient idea to have more than one wife. The man is almost as psychopathic as Uday.

What the movie succeeded in however is depicting Uday as the monster that he was.

[–] jh66 11 years ago

Do you have links to the sources that support this about Latif?

I just watched 'Banged up Abroad' with Latif's episode.

[–] PounamuKnight 9 years ago

Latif Yahia, the guy who claimed to be Uday's double- his story is one big massive lie. Read up his wiki page, the evidence against this idiot liar's word is overwelming.

[–] nerhal1 11 years ago

The movie has Hollywood in it for sure. But the atrocities saddam and his sons did to the Iraqis is true. Sick people who got what was coming to them.

[–] yusef-ghanima 10 years ago

you're a liar and you will be asked about your lies on judgment day

i mostly will not be able to answer your reply, since marissa mayer hacked my email, no notification

[–] dacookielad 10 years ago

If you want factual go see a documentary. This is a narrative where creativity is free reign.

The story is a lot more interesting as an everyday man being put into a dangerous yet luxurious new world filled. If you made him a douchebag like he is in real life then it wouldn't be nearly as interesting because then you wouldn't be able to connect with any of the characters. People who demand for movies to be straightforward with facts and hard boiled truth in their stories clearly don't know the first thing about what a film truly is.

[–] DwaynePipes35 9 years ago

Mainly the parts where Uday F11cks his own mother ;)

(BTB) " F11cking northern monkeys"