An idealistic UN staffer (an inert Theo James – Divergent) is sent to Baghdad just before the Iraq War to monitor the UN Oil for Food program, aimed at keeping the country’s populace from starving despite sanctions while reining in Saddam’s worst excesses. What he finds – surprise! – is widespread corruption and graft – even implicating his obscenity-spouting boss (an amusing Ben Kingsley). Maybe this accurately titled film is based on a true story, and granted that story is a messy one (allowing some degree of corruption for the greater good?), but that doesn’t excuse the messy storytelling. (108 min)
Don Morton
Don Morton has viewed some 6,000 movies, frequently awake. A bachelor and avid cyclist, he currently divides his time between Tokyo and a high-tech 4WD super-camper somewhere in North America.You may also like
Japan Drugstore Guide: Best Sleeping Aids in Japan
Top products for a better night’s sleep in Japan
How to Live in Japan
Visas, jobs and the real way people make it work
Japanese Halloween Costume Ideas for 2025
Draw inspiration from Japanese horror folktales
Kagura: Theater from Heaven Joins the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List
Kagura, a variant of Shinto theater, may not be as well known to foreigners as kabuki and noh
Kanazawa Travel Guide: A Taste of Old Japan
Kyoto’s charms without the hordes of tourists
Novotel Nara
A newly-opened destination hotel in Japan’s ancient capital
Escape to Zaltana Cabin in the Mountains of Nagano
A log cabin retreat where city life feels a world away