Since becoming ruler of Iraq in 1979, Saddam Hussein has become infamous around the world for his instability, his warmongering, and his brutal policies against the people of Kuwait, the Kurds, his own citizens, and even his own family. But filmmaker Joel Soler offers us an unusual look at the ruler in Uncle Saddam, suggesting that beneath his dangerous exterior, Hussein is a fool, a braggart, and a rube. Dominated by news footage smuggled out of Iraq, Uncle Saddam shows several sides to Hussein little known to observers in the West -- a man obsessed with hygiene who demands that visitors kiss his armpits, a leader paranoid enough to hire a man to taste his food before every meal, a megalomaniac who commissioned a genealogist to "prove" he is a distant relative of Mohammed, a lord of over 20 official palaces even though he rules only 20 million people, and a true sportsman who has discovered a novel way of fishing with grenades. The narration for Uncle Saddam was written by Scott Thompson, a former member of the comedy troupe "The Kids in the Hall," and is read by comic actor Wallace Langham. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
