Taut, well-crafted political thriller

Theo James stars as a young, naive diplomat's assistant who discovers corruption in the UN's Oil For Food Program in Iraq during the lead-up to the Invasion of Iraq in 2003. Adapted from the book by whistleblower Michael Soussan, on whom the character 'Michael Sullivan' is based. Excellent performances by James, Ben Kingsley as the administrator of the Oil For Food program, and Turkish actress Belçim Bilgin as a crypto-Kurd working to secure aid for her people, persecuted by the regime of Saddam Hussein. Not quite enough linkage to those who profit from Iraq's immense oil wealth, but the film nevertheless paints a vivid picture of the tainted, tangled, and tragic role played by the UN in Iraq, a role that continues to define the country to the present day.