Overview: Based on a true story, this gripping and timely thriller follows an idealistic UN employee (James) as he investigates the grisly murder of his predecessor and uncovers a vast global conspiracy that may even involve his own boss (Kingsley).

Blu-ray Verdict: Based upon a true story, Michael Sullivan (Theo James) takes a job at the United Nations with supervisor Pasha (Ben Kingsley) a United Nations Under Secretary who runs the Oil for Food Program and Michael eventually learns how "diplomacy" really works.

Michael learns that there is corruption everywhere he looks, but goes along with Pasha's "don't rock the boat" philosophy because Pasha wants to keep his job and also to insure the funding continues for the Program.

This is really not an entertaining story. It's more like a documentary about the corruption within the United Nations, and sometimes it's difficult to follow characters that come and go and we are not sure what they do except to say most are up to no good.

All you really have to do is to follow Michael and his take on everything. Remember, he took the job to make a difference in the world, but is constrained by Pasha and his don't rock the boat philosophy.

Michael's change of heart started with Michael befriending and defending Nashim (Belcim Bilgin) a Kurdish woman who fears for her life if she is found out to be Kurdish in Iraq.

After the attack by the US on Iraq, Michael sees the opportunity to get the evidence for all the corruption that involves many well known companies and other countries who greased Saddam's hand.

Ben Kingsley plays Pasha perfectly and we all know he is guilty and we wonder how Michael will expose him and all the rest. And this is where the major backstabbing takes place because Pasha is found guilty as well. Pasha admits to Michael later on that this was well-played by Michael.

Notable players that stand out in this film are the always-incredible Jacqueline Bisset as Christina Dupre. A woman who is opposed to the Food for Oil program because she knows the program is corrupt, and that all the food never gets to the people. Worse, the drugs that are supposed to help cure illness are so out of date many deaths come about because of that.

Overall, just not enough dramatic tension here to make this a really engrossing movie. It did have its moments, but I can't rate it higher than fair.

On one last intersecting note, Josh Hutcherson was set to play the lead role in this film but when director Per Fly informed him they would be shooting in Morocco and Jordan, Hutcherson dropped out because of safety reasons. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

“The Truth Behind Backstabbing for Beginners” Featurette