War Dogs

This film, directed and co-written by Todd Phillips, is based on a true story which was originally told by Guy Lawson in his "Rolling Stone" article "Arms and the Dudes." David Packouz (Miles Teller - "Whiplash") is struggling to make ends meet.  He has dropped out of college and is now working in Miami as a massage therapist.  His latest business venture, selling high-end bed linens to nursing homes, is a bust.  His best friend from junior high school, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), has just returned to Miami.  Efraim is making pretty good money selling arms to the U.S. military.  He is essentially a bottom-feeder, making the minor deals that the big companies don't want.  Efraim is very busy and needs some help, so he asks David to work for him. It's the perfect time to be in this business, since billions of dollars of arms are being purchased by the U.S. to finance President Bush's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The duo make some successful deals, start becoming bigger fish, and are quickly getting rich - but are they in over their heads? It's basically an occasionally-funny buddy-flick, but there are times when it's serious and suspenseful.  There were some scenes that didn't work, but the film tells an interesting story and the acting by Hill and Teller is first rate.  "War Dogs" barks, but it doesn't have quite enough bite!  It's a better-than-average rental, but the movie doesn't have enough going for it to see now on the BS.