384:. Pasha tries to teach Michael about the realities of diplomacy in a world filled with corruption, highlighting that $ 60 billion does make it into buying food and medicine for the people of Iraq. As more of the people around him are killed, including Nashim and Dupre, and as the corruption continues even after the programme was
373:
he uncovers a major corruption scandal, whereby payoffs and bribes diverted $ 20 billion of the funds away from food and into the hands of companies, banks, officials of various governments, and officials of the UN itself, possibly including Pasha, so that
Hussein can pocket over $ 1 billion of the funds.
372:
and his regime. On his first visit to
Baghdad, local UN chief diplomat Christina Dupre makes it clear to Pasha that she is disturbed by the corruption in the programme, and plans to publish a report voicing her concerns. This is the first Michael hears of the problem, and over the course of the film
601:
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criticized the "romantic subplot, complete with heavy-breathing sex scene, and some of the more cloak-and-dagger-y intrigue show", which she saw as "Hollywood-izing a complicated and tragic real-world situation". Michael
Rechtshaffen of
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Michael falls in love with Nashim, a UN worker in
Baghdad who reveals aspects of the corruption to Michael, while she covertly works to advance the cause of her own people, the
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diplomat who died when
Michael was young. Michael leaves a lucrative job at a large bank and lands his dream job as a diplomat with the
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360:(UN) in the fall of 2002. He is assigned to work as an assistant to Under-Secretary-General Costa "Pasha" Passaris, the head of the
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acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. The film was released in
Denmark on 18 January 2018. The film was released through
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was originally set to star in the movie but dropped out and was replaced by Theo James. Filming started in March 2016 in
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770:"Conspiracy, corruption, bravery and a dash of romance- don't miss the new movie "Backstabbing For Beginners""
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797:"Murder, the Mafia and Political Corruption Abound in 'Backstabbing for Beginners' Trailer (Exclusive)"
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743:"A24, DirecTV Take 'Backstabbing for Beginners' With Theo James, Ben Kingsley (Exclusive)"
602:"Backstabbing for Beginners: A Crash Course in International Diplomacy by Michael Soussan"
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gave the film 48 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
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Frank Scheck called the film "an inert would-be thriller". Jessica Kiang of the
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968:"Review: U.N. intrigue and corruption in 'Backstabbing for Beginners'"
74:
Backstabbing for
Beginners: My Crash Course in International Diplomacy
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got a 38% approval from 24 reviews, and an average rating of 4.7/10.
659:"Theo James Replaces Josh Hutcherson in Backstabbing for Beginners"
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said that "despite delivering few actual thrills, the fact-based
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The film was a Canada, United States and
Denmark co-production.
420:, the actual head of the United Nations' Oil-for-Food Programme)
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685:"Jacqueline Bisset Joins Thriller 'Backstabbing for Beginners'"
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qualifies as an intelligent, well-crafted political thriller".
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332:. It follows the real life corruption scandal in the UN
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in April 2016. The production budget was $ 8 million.
392:, a dejected Michael gathers evidence and takes it to
716:"Hollywood Stars Coming to Denmark to Film New Movie"
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416:as Costa Pasaris, a.k.a. Pasha (fashioned after
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352:The film follows Michael Sullivan, the son of
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8:
947:"Film Review: 'Backstabbing for Beginners'"
921:"'Backstabbing for Beginners': Film Review"
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29:
20:
606:The Bologna Institute for Policy Research
368:without allowing the oil sales to boost
966:Rechtshaffen, Michael (26 April 2018).
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513:in the United States on 27 April 2018.
1243:Political films based on actual events
1248:Thriller films based on actual events
1178:Canadian films based on actual events
1168:American films based on actual events
714:Carstensen, Ivar (22 February 2016).
509:on 22 March 2018, before receiving a
485:, Morocco, with other scenes shot in
7:
631:Copenhagen Film Fund (17 May 2016).
574:"Backstabbing for Beginners (2018)"
1263:English-language independent films
1084:The Woman That Dreamed About a Man
388:terminated in 2003, following the
14:
1183:Canadian political thriller films
1173:American political thriller films
945:Kiang, Jessicsa (23 March 2018).
324:film directed and co-written by
1193:English-language Canadian films
1188:Danish political thriller films
919:Scheck, Frank (27 April 2018).
1208:Films about the United Nations
1158:2010s political thriller films
328:, and based on the memoirs of
1:
1198:English-language Danish films
795:Boone, Josh (20 March 2018).
741:Ford, Rebecca (7 June 2017).
683:McNary, Dave (2 March 2016).
657:Evry, Max (21 January 2016).
1153:2010s English-language films
824:"Backstabbing for Beginners"
633:"Backstabbing for Beginners"
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1104:Backstabbing for Beginners
999:Backstabbing for Beginners
887:Backstabbing for Beginners
852:Backstabbing for Beginners
554:Backstabbing for Beginners
527:Backstabbing for Beginners
390:Coalition Invasion of Iraq
317:Backstabbing for Beginners
24:Backstabbing for Beginners
1218:Films directed by Per Fly
1047:
233:18 January 2018
35:Theatrical release poster
28:
195:Waterstone Entertainment
395:The Wall Street Journal
244:27 April 2018
183:Eyeworks Scandi Fiction
1213:Films based on memoirs
1203:Films about corruption
1143:2018 independent films
925:The Hollywood Reporter
748:The Hollywood Reporter
362:Oil-for-Food Programme
334:Oil-for-Food Programme
96:Nikolaj Vibe Michelsen
1238:Films shot in Toronto
1233:Films shot in Morocco
1228:Films shot in Denmark
828:Danish Film Institute
802:Entertainment Tonight
468:Kardo Razazi as Abhek
465:Peshang Rad as Hassan
1258:2010s Canadian films
1253:2010s American films
1223:Films set in Baghdad
252: (United States)
16:2018 film by Per Fly
1163:A24 (company) films
1148:2018 thriller films
354:US State Department
1039:Films directed by
322:political thriller
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973:Los Angeles Times
776:. 18 January 2018
549:Los Angeles Times
531:Review aggregator
462:as Ruth Zekar Kal
436:Rossif Sutherland
430:Jacqueline Bisset
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180:Creative Alliance
132:Jacqueline Bisset
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612:on 29 May 2018
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977:. Retrieved
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610:the original
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584:. Retrieved
582:. IMDb. 2018
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454:Aidan Devine
450:as Rasnetsov
414:Ben Kingsley
393:
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380:of northern
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351:
342:Ben Kingsley
336:, and stars
316:
315:
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261:Running time
154:Morten Giese
122:Ben Kingsley
92:Lars Knudsen
73:
18:
830:(in Danish)
722:(in Danish)
418:Benon Sevan
301:$ 8 million
265:104 minutes
99:Jay Van Hoy
85:Produced by
58:Daniel Pyne
41:Directed by
1138:2018 films
1132:Categories
894:Metacritic
869:10 October
560:References
534:Metacritic
487:Copenhagen
473:Production
410:as Michael
408:Theo James
338:Theo James
320:is a 2018
306:Box office
248:2018-04-27
237:2018-01-18
170:Production
117:Theo James
51:Written by
1054:The Bench
517:Reception
483:Marrakech
456:as Cutter
438:as Trevor
426:as Nashim
309:$ 367,000
270:Countries
172:companies
151:Edited by
979:10 March
930:10 March
904:10 March
864:Fandango
834:10 March
808:10 March
780:10 March
754:10 March
726:10 March
696:10 March
668:10 March
642:10 March
432:as Dupre
290:Language
159:Music by
110:Starring
70:Based on
1041:Per Fly
952:Variety
690:Variety
586:28 July
493:Release
444:as Lily
386:de jure
326:Per Fly
293:English
279:Denmark
246: (
235: (
62:Per Fly
45:Per Fly
1117:(2023)
1107:(2018)
1097:(2013)
1087:(2010)
1077:(2005)
1067:(2003)
1057:(2000)
616:28 May
298:Budget
276:Canada
720:DR.dk
378:Kurds
1004:IMDb
981:2021
932:2021
906:2021
871:2021
836:2021
810:2021
782:2021
756:2021
728:2021
698:2021
670:2021
644:2021
618:2018
588:2022
501:and
402:Cast
382:Iraq
366:Iraq
348:Plot
340:and
1002:at
521:On
499:A24
211:A24
77:by
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