This movie makes you think. Consider that a warning as well as an invitation. In this life we all come to that point when we know for certain that this is a horrible world filled with horrible things. The only way to get through life is to focus on what's directly in front of you while trying to ignore the bigger issues. This movie very effectively shines light on one of those "this world sucks" topics, specifically, arms dealing.
Loosely based on historical facts, Nicolas Cage takes you through the evolution of the arms dealer from the middle of the cold war to present day. One particularly potent scene also reminds us how out of control the AIDS epidemic has become in Africa. Being seduced by two outrageously gorgeous Africans Cage desperately fights off their advances since one in four Africans have AIDS, his pleasure would be certain death.
As the last scene wraps up and the curtain closes, this film effectively leaves the viewer completely devoid of hope. There is no happy ending and you know for certain that all the bad things you saw are still going strong. Africa's a mess, all governments are corrupt, and the people who can stop it are making far too much money to even consider changing it.
Then you make your way home and remember there are chores to be done, errands to be run, and bullets in poor black skulls are just another thought to lock away.
