Body of Lies (2008) User Reviews (339)

The War on Terror, as seen from on the ground

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 16 September 2011]

A taut and engaging Middle Eastern thriller from Ridley Scott, who handles the political motivations just as well as the frenetic action scenes. BODY OF LIES is a modern-day counterpart to Scott's Crusader epic KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, revealing how the war between the East and West is nowadays fought through terror attacks and sinister subversion rather than all-out battles.

DiCaprio continues to develop as one of the most interesting actors of our age while Russell Crowe is cast against type as a shifty CIA controller. Although the on-the-ground operations, bombings and betrayals are as exciting as you'd expect, the film's real strength lies in the back story: namely, America's interference in cultures it doesn't fully understand or get to grips with. Add in another dignified performance from Mark Strong and you have a winning combination for a movie.

High-Quality Espionage Thriller

[C22Man · 6/10 · 5 July 2016]

What is most interesting about Body of Lies is that it manages to rise above the predictability and formula that plagues the vast majority of espionage films. It is post-Bourne wrapped up in a more mature Bond plot with a politically conscious edge. Yet it never feels like it is stealing elements of those, more using them as a launch-pad for its own ideas. Though the film itself is sometimes guilty of falling back into safety, it remains consistently exciting and intently engaging even when those moments occur because of how keenly detailed and acted it is. It makes it standout as a cut above many of its contemporaries.

We follow Roger Ferris, a ground CIA operative who moves throughout the Middle East in an attempt to lure out and capture terrorist Al- Saleem. Of course his practices involve plenty of lies and deceit as he tries to retain the support of the head of the Jordanian Intelligence. Ferris is played by Leonardo DiCaprio who makes an excellent centrepiece for the film. DiCaprio is a great choice for the role, given his superb ability to convey emotion and his delivery making even mundane dialogue seem important. I'm not sure many could have been as appealing as he is here. Ferris grows into a more interesting character as the film progresses. His disillusion with the lies he has to sow and backstabbing from his superiors make for some of the most intriguing moments, whilst providing some welcomed morality that never feels forced.

His superior Hoffman is played terrifically by Russell Crowe, whose weight gain and distinct accent allow him to become the character. Crowe is at his best playing characters like this. Confident, forcefully honest, almost egotistical, yet understanding the importance of the situation. They're traits he always nails. Hoffman appears all-knowing, frequently surveying from the air, keeping constant contact with Ferris as he aids him in setting up a fictional terrorist group to smoke out Al-Saleem. He also clashes with the Jordanian head Hani Salaam, who is convincingly played by Mark Strong, a man who only asks that the CIA don't lie to him, which is something that Ferris finds increasingly difficult to avoid.

The interactions and differences between these three main characters is definitely the film's most interesting aspect. All three have distinct personalities that are well developed, conduct their jobs in very different ways and are portrayed by actors who always convince. The scenes that bring them together are always gripping, Ferris meeting Hoffman in Washington to devise a new plan, Hani questioning how Ferris could lie to him, the three of them discussing their mission. They all share a suspicion of one another that is fascinating to see play out.

There is a romance between Ferris and an Iranian doctor that is nicely played out and expands the characters. It also offers us an interesting look at the perception of a relationship with someone from the West in the Middle East. However, the issue is that it doesn't really fit in with the tone of the film and ends up becoming a plot device later on in the film which makes it feel rather forced. The action scenes and shootouts are always very fluid and exciting to watch. Notably, there is a weight to them that makes the injuries feel painful, these operatives don't just bounce back up like in so many spy flicks. There's a torture scene near the end that is brilliantly intense and really keeps you guessing as to its outcome.

With Ridley Scott at the helm the film is fantastic to look at and his direction is as smooth as it's ever been. In fact I don't think the Middle East has ever looked this vibrant and authentic on screen before. Scott directs the film masterfully. He manages to make the dialogue driven scenes feel just as tense as the action ones. I especially like the use of aerial surveillance, as it gave the film a much wider scope and added to the feeling of always being watched. Scott is saddled with a script that can be jargon heavy, but he's able to make it understandable and technical without dumbing it down or filling it with dialogue that nobody would comprehend. The funny thing is that this is type of film Scott's Brother Tony would usually at home doing, so it's nice to see him try his hand at it and go for a more subtle approach.

Despite its amalgamation of various espionage tropes and some misplaced plot points, Body of Lies is an exceptional genre film. It manages to work as both an exciting action thriller and as a more controlled politically-charged piece. The story is packed with deception and intrigue, just right for this type of film. The main characters are well-rounded and captivating to watch, they guide us through the film and I always wanted to see what their next move was going to be. It is a layered story and it's impressive just how well it is conveyed. Plenty of praise should go to Scott, his three leading men and script writer William Monahan. They have crafted a film that is well- balanced, a vivid portrait of the CIA in the Middle East and makes a number of potentially clichéd aspects feel fresh again.

Great spy film works first as a thriller but also as a commentary on Iraq. This is probably the first Iraq film that will have a life outside of its connection to the war

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 21 October 2008]

I've been trying a simple way to explain the plot but its not that easy and its hung up my review of the film for sometime. I can either be very simple and not give you a flavor for the film or I can tell you too much. After much deliberation I'm going to go simple.

A CIA agent played by Leonardo DiCaprio who is operating in Iraq get wind of a terrorist organization that maybe working out of Jordan. with the help, hindrance and manipulation of his boss back in the US (Russell Crowe) DiCaprio attempts to penetrate and stop the group before they can kill any more people.

That does the film no justice, so let me say that this is the first film dealing with Iraq in a good long while that doesn't feel like a retread or cliché. Its also the first film to deal with the war that will play well as a spy movie when divorced of its subject. Yea its about the war and yea it has implications, but at the same time its a damn fine modern spy thriller and will in the end be remembered as that in ten years time. The cast is wonderful, even if Crowe's and DiCaprio's accents wander in and out. See the film because its a thriller not because its Iraq related.

To be certain its not a perfect film, there are a few spy genre clichés it stumbles over but for the most part its a movie to watch with a big soda and a tub of popcorn.

Recommended.

A cut above most of its kind

[ametaphysicalshark · 10 October 2008]

The main thing I was curious about with "Body of Lies" is what sort of film it would end up being. It could have been a post-Bourne action thriller, a serious dramatic thriller with a political edge ("Munich", "Syriana"), one of those intolerably dull post-9/11 films ("Lions for Lambs"), or something like Ridley Scott's brother Tony's "Spy Game", a movie with an interesting premise and disappointing execution.

I would argue that "Body of Lies" is the exact opposite on paper of "Spy Game". It's a movie with a questionable, sketchy premise and damn good execution. I'd always definitely preferred Ridley's sensibilities and films to Tony's, and his take on a story about a CIA agent working against agency politics is definitely superior as well, although a very, very large amount of my preference for "Body of Lies" comes from the script by "The Departed" scribe William Monahan. "Body of Lies" bizarrely manages to work as both a hugely entertaining, nifty action thriller and as a socially/politically-conscious drama. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it really does go from "Syriana" to "The Bourne Identity" in a second, and does so without feeling ridiculous, contrived, or silly. It just somehow pulls it off, and I'm crediting Monahan with most of this success although Scott certainly handles the shifts in tone extremely well.

All you should know about the story going in is that DiCaprio plays Roger Ferris, a CIA field agent in an important position in the middle east division, just below the leader of the division Ed Hoffman (played by Russell Crowe), a snarky, racist, and mostly unlikeable man who leads the missions remotely through his laptop and cellphone. Ferris uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader potentially operating out of Jordan, and chooses to act on it, involving Jordanian intelligence leader Hani Salam, played brilliantly by Mark Strong. His performance is just the right side of slightly hammy, and works wonderfully well. There are twists and turns and it's a lot of fun.

Now here's where I'm going to start sounding really bizarre: I know I just said it was a lot of fun, but there's a good amount of substance here and a good deal to be learned about middle-eastern politics (having lived there for many years, I can assure you that this film works as a primer on the mindset and cultural feel of the locations it is set in, and of the political system there. Its observations on Jordanian intelligence in particular are very much spot-on. There are scenes where the film gets really dark and serious, and they completely work as well. In particular, for a white American screenwriter's work, this is incredibly perceptive and understanding of how Jordanians act and feel. Something like "Rendition" from last year, while generally just not a good film, was also hopelessly inaccurate on just about everything. There was no work there, just a message the filmmaker wanted to send. With "Body of Lies", every second feels (and is) authentic and real (outside, perhaps, of some of the details of the espionage aspects, although the writer of the book it was based on was CIA), and there's even some cultural jokes completely in Arabic, untranslated on screen, that basically no non-Arabs will understand. It's a remarkably vivid, real portrait, and considering Hollywood's past of portraying Arabs generally in a 'dem Ayrabs, we America' way, which completely ignored the basic dress and attitude of real Arabs, something like this is refreshing.

The movie isn't perfect, and there's a key scene at the end which feels very didactic and heavy-handed (although judging by the twentysomethings who left the theater talking about how cool one of the torture scenes was, even a message delivered this bluntly just isn't getting into their thick skulls), but it somehow gets away with being an enjoyable genre piece and a genuinely thought-provoking and perceptive film (but not one which focuses on these elements to the point of being overbearing), with actual understanding of mid-eastern politics and culture, wonderfully involving characters (including the refreshingly non-sexual love interest Aisha, played by Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani), and even a surprising sense of humor. "Body of Lies" is most definitely a cut above most in its (overall quite poor) sub-genre, and one of the biggest surprises of the year.

8/10

Good movie, but a bit forgettable

[kari_d · 7/10 · 20 November 2008]

I have really liked Leonardo DiCaprio's films since he came back from his hiatus (esp Blood Diamond). However, this one was quite forgettable. I enjoyed the movie when I was in the theater and left thinking "Huh. That was pretty good". But the week after someone asked what movie I saw and I couldn't remember. It reminded me a lot of "The Kingdom" actually (the feel, not the details). It was a very well made film, dialog and script were good, just nothing really stood out and grabbed me. Leo was the shine, he is such a talented actor and I was happy to see him in a great role. I just wish the plot had something fantastic in it to make it into a great film.

A Well Made Film that Just Barely Misses the Mark

[caseynicholson · 6/10 · 16 April 2016]

I watched "Body of Lies" the other night for the first time since having seen it in the theater. This is a well made film that just barely misses the mark of being outstanding.

Russell Crowe is good in this movie, and it's arguably one of the few Crowe movies in which he transforms into his character rather than simply playing himself. DiCaprio is good enough, though he definitely suffers from his ongoing inability to play a character rather than being stuck in his same old mannerisms.

The plot of this movie is quite intriguing. It's a film that revolves around post-9/11 terrorism in the mid-east, with most of the movie taking place in the very places that make the news the most some eight years later: Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Sadly, the movie predicts the spread of terrorism to Europe (it was filmed after the 7/7 bus bombings in London, and references them, but shows an attack in Amsterdam that brings to mind recent attacks in Paris and Brussels). Its fictional drama mixed with real world terrorism makes for a compelling story.

Unfortunately there's just something about the movie that makes it obvious that it misses the mark just a tad. It might be argued that the studio was trying a bit too hard to make an Oscar worthy picture, but didn't quite pull things together enough. The romantic element of the film feels a bit forced, and despite its strengths it comes across as being a bit more like a made-for-TV drama series than an award worthy feature film.

All in all I'm going with 6/10 stars. It's certainly worth the time to see, but ultimately a good popcorn flick rather than a more substantive film.

Intense Political Thriller Takes More Cues from Hollywood than the Current Middle East Crisis

[EUyeshima · 6/10 · 8 November 2008]

The craftsmanship behind director Ridley Scott's 2008 convulsive political thriller is impressive, but having acts of terrorism drive an intentionally labyrinth plot reveals how they impede the story structurally, an insurmountable barrier that screenwriter William Monahan ("The Departed") can't seem to overcome. The movie's first half is all the more bewildering for all the double-crosses and cover-ups that serve to set up the central situation. Based on Washington Post columnist David Ignatius' 2007 novel, the movie focuses on embedded CIA operative Roger Ferris who is on an undercover assignment to hunt an Al-Qaeda terrorist leader named Al-Saleem. Ferris is not entirely alone as he is connected via cell phone with his stateside boss Ed Hoffman, who is the head of the CIA's Near East division and directs Ferris toward life-threatening tasks in a most nonchalant manner from his upscale suburban home.

The plot's impetus is driven by the elusive Al-Saleem's unblinking series of suicide bombings in Europe in response to the invasion by US and UK troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The movie gets more interesting when Ferris decides to work with Jordanian intelligence director Hani Salaam, an erudite, enigmatic figure who is well entrenched in the Middle East militia and appears to take a page from Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" when it comes to loyalty and betrayal. Of course, it's a matter of course that Ferris' loyalty is tested when an elaborate plan is hatched to create a bogus competing terrorist group and use an unwitting Dubai architect as the head. The other complicating factor is that Ferris has fallen for pretty Iranian nurse Aisha when he gets treated for possible rabies at a clinic. It becomes inevitable that she also becomes a pawn in the political intrigue. Scott paints his canvas with a lot of graphic violence from large-scale bombings to more intimate acts of torture.

All of the external elements are fitting, but they can't seem to masquerade the convoluted and often cliché-ridden plot at the film's core. A solid cast goes a long way to compensate for the plot holes. As Ferris, Leonardo DiCaprio applies his trademark wiry energy to an intensely compelling performance that could have shown a bit more variety. Adding fifty belly-stretching pounds to his frame, Russell Crowe, Scott's favorite leading man ("Gladiator", "American Gangster", "A Good Year"), plays the Arkansan Hoffman as a scene-stealing character part. The irony is that the Australian actor's Southern accent is more convincing than DiCaprio's. Their antagonistic interplay, played out mostly on the phone, is rather predictably developed. Fetching Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani provides gratefully calm relief to the ongoing mayhem as Aisha, although her character comes across as a mere plot device. There is a nicely fractious dinner table scene with Ferris and her judgmental older sister, although the movie plays down the more human-size hostilities in favor of the pyrotechnics.

As Hani, Mark Strong ("Sunshine", "Stardust") leaves the most vivid impression of the cast but for the most old-fashioned of cinematic reasons - he plays what could be a villainous figure as a suave, mysterious man of honor who is completely on top of his job, an intentional counterpoint, at least physically, to Crowe's slovenly Hoffman. The film's resolution defies credibility, but it finally becomes clear that Monahan is not interested in exposing the factors that have driven the Middle East political maelstrom into acts of escalating terrorism. Rather, his screenplay shows that testosterone-driven Hollywood-style entertainment can take place anywhere.

Ridley does it again

[Shrykespeare · 9/10 · 7 October 2008]

You really have to admire Ridley Scott's moxie.

Even though the 70-year-old director has long established himself as one of Hollywood's best and most durable directors; having helmed some of the most entertaining films of all time, in virtually every genre (including sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner); and having been nominated no less than three times for the Best Director Oscar (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down), to decide to take on theme that has produced exactly zero blockbusters thus far – the Middle East and terrorism – takes an incredible amount of chutzpah.

But it does help if you have the help of two of the biggest actors in Hollywood at the moment, those being Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe (who has worked with Scott on two previous films, Gladiator and A Good Year). It's ironic to think that the last time these two actors shared the screen was back in 1995, with the clichéd-but-entertaining oater The Quick and the Dead. Of course, at the time, Crowe was a complete unknown and DiCaprio was a 21-year-old newcomer with only a couple of notable titles under his belt. But oh, how that's all changed now.

It's not easy to describe the plot of Body of Lies without giving too much away. DiCaprio plays CIA operative Roger Ferris, who is trying to flush out a terrorist leader named Al-Saleem in Jordan. He gets his orders from Ed Hoffman (Crowe), a man for whom results are the only satisfactory outcome, delivered with a fair amount of arrogance and a cocky Southern drawl. Ed plays the situation like a kid playing a video game, and has the resources to change the rules anytime he feels like it, dispensing his orders from his office, from his backyard, from his daughter's soccer game, for Pete's sake! This, of course, infuriates Ferris to no end, because he is the one who is in the trenches, chasing the bad guys, dodging bullets, ducking explosions, and procuring the badly-needed intelligence that Hoffman needs. Ferris is also trying to build a productive working relationship with the head of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), a relationship that is made even more tenuous by Hoffman's double-dealings and hidden agendas.

There are so many ways that Scott could have screwed this up. A lesser director might have chosen to ramp up the action, sacrificing intelligence for entertainment. A lesser director could have taken this story of espionage and twisted it into a convoluted and indecipherable Gordian knot. A lesser director would have gotten less convincing performances from his lead actors.

But Ridley Scott is not a lesser director. Though the plot is indeed complex, with many layers and sub-layers, deceit and treachery, Scott never lets you lose sight of the overall picture. He tells a solid, wonderfully entertaining story, without the need to drive home its message with sledgehammer subtlety (after all, very few things are black and white). And most of all, he gets electric performances from Crowe and DiCaprio, whose symbiotic relationship with a thinly-veiled veneer of mutual contempt is a pleasure to watch.

I don't know if Body of Lies will end up breaking through the barrier that every movie in this genre couldn't; but for what it's worth, I hope it does. One thing's for sure… if anybody can, Ridley Scott can.

For this and other reviews, please check out www.thelatestmoviereviews.com.

Not A Run-Of-The-Mill Political Thriller

[jeev7882 · 7/10 · 8 October 2008]

Finally an above average political thriller that is effective and surprisingly politically neutral. That's not to say it won't irk those on the far reaches of either aisle in addition to the always irritable Iranian government. But, Body of Lies is a plot driven espionage thriller that demonstrates the basics of what Western intelligence has done right and wrong in the post 9/11 era without being preachy or shoving too much at the audience.

The movie follows Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), an operative trying to gather intel on Islamic terrorist cells to get to the head: Al- Saleem. He works closely with local contacts wherever he goes, only to find that his boss, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) finds them useful but disposable. After losing such a friend in Iraq, Ferris travels to Jordan to head up the U.S. Intelligence operations there. In Jordan he befriends Hani (Mark Strong), the head of Jordanian Intelligence, who places more value on patience and trust than speed and technology.

Anyone who read the title of the movie can guess the basics of what happens next: Ferris gets caught in a web of lies, some created by him, some by his boss, and he struggles to do the right thing and break free from all he has constructed. The lies are actually relatively simple and easy to keep track of. There isn't betrayal upon betrayal which so many movies get caught up in these days, but the pacing does suffer due to a plot that forces itself to be intricate when it would be better served by simplicity.

There is a point about halfway through the movie where Ferris comes up with the idea to construct a fake terrorist cell to challenge the cell they are going after. The idea isn't all that bad, but it basically restarts the plot instead of building it. The pacing of Body of Lies is suspect with plenty of these moments. Ferris doesn't seem to learn much from the err of his ways until the very end, so the characters, while compelling, are also stagnant for most of the movie.

Still, the performances are excellent if not extraordinary. DiCaprio has established himself as the best young actor out there for quite sometime now. His command of different voices, different languages (I've never heard a southerner speak Arabic as well as he does in this movie), and different mannerisms make him a consummate professional. Crowe, in my opinion one of the top few actors working today, is underused in what is really a smaller role than what the trailers showed. I guess every Ridley Scott movie just has to have Maximus in it. The two biggest standouts are Mark Strong, who plays the Jordanian Intelligence Head just serious and slick enough to make you wonder what his interests really are, and Golshifteh Farahani, who is the first Iranian born actress to appear in a Hollywood flick since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Incidentally Mrs. Farahani can't return to her native Iran until the court sees the movie and then decides what to do with her passport.

Admittedly, the love interest of Aisha played by Farahani seems a bit forced. Are Ferris' feelings for a woman really the only thing that can humanize him and realize that maybe he hasn't been doing things the right way this whole time? Body of Lies does such a good job of injecting emotion into it's storyline unlike so many recent political thrillers (think Syriana, Munich, The Constant Gardner, etc.), that it is disappointing to see it resort to such means in an attempt to humanize Ferris and give his life some real meaning.

Complex structure

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 20 April 2009]

I'm starting to get what and especially why people praised Leonardo Di Caprio so much. He really holds the movie together here. It's a great script story, but with his charismatic performance he really gives it the extra edge it needs.

Ridley Scott has chosen a very peculiar story for (t)his movie. But he really treats it with much respect. His visual sense and his story-telling mastery combined with a great cast and the aforementioned script make up for a very interesting, entertaining, but still very complex and sophisticated! It's not something you can watch in-between doing other things. You do have to pay attention to what is happening to follow the story/plot. And I liked that very much :o)

Body of Lies (2008)

[MartinTeller · 6/10 · 4 January 2012]

Eh, I just don't know what to say about this. It's watchable as a thriller, but not very original or memorable. Ridley Scott's best films remain ALIEN and BLADE RUNNER, both of which are genre pictures (horror and noir, respectively) wrapped in sci-fi trappings. Next in line would probably be THE DUELLISTS, a period picture but one with enough idiosyncrasies to stand out. This just feels like more of what we've seen before. Where's the vision? Well constructed, sure, but nothing that will stick with you. DiCaprio is fine, not much of a performance to comment on, though. Russell Crowe bores me, he just does nothing for me at all. Welp, I've got nothing else to say. It's a movie and I watched it and it was okay, now it's over.

Kingdom of Heaven: 1000 years on...

[owlglass · 10/10 · 9 October 2008]

Films involving 'current events'--particularly those relating to anything happening in the Middle East and Terrorism--tend to be soaked in the writers', producers' and director's politics, which usually end up very much in-your-face and spoil the film, because you suddenly lose the story and drown in the preaching and proselytizing.

Ridley Scott, who has already addressed the West-East/Christianity-Islam issue in a previous film, 'Kingdom of Heaven', this time bit the bullet (instead of the sword) and continued KoH's story about 1000 years later. 'Body of Lies' is very much a Ridley Scott movie and this translates into the film's politics as well. Thing is, you can't leave politics out of a political movie; and so what do you do? Well, here's a newsflash for the poli-preachers on all sides: it's possible to have it all, and just watch Ridley Scott do it. Just like KoH, it's all about even-handedness and realizing that (1) every side in a conflict has a point of view, which, to itself, is perfectly valid; and (2) every side has people you'd probably like and some you really wouldn't, (3) the way to peace lies with understanding (1) and (2); and not with having just one point of view, no matter how righteous it may appear. Both, Islamophobes and Islamophiles--or those on the extremes of any aspect of the political spectrum--will probably find ample elements to dislike about this film. Others of a more moderate and even-handed disposition will find much to like and appreciate.

All of this, rather profound, stuff is wrapped up in a gritty Ridley Scott production and direction, that keeps your full attention for its full 2+ hours. Leonardo DiCaprio has really grown up and cast off his annoying persona, which was so prominent in just about all his movies; until 'Blood Diamond' came along. Russell Crowe is basically a secondary character, eclipsed almost completely by DiCaprio and Mark Strong. The latter has come a long way since I first saw him in the BBC production of Jane Austen's 'Emma'. The gentle and understated romance element provided by Golshifteh Farahani as 'Aisha' provided a nice contrast to the testosterone-soaked male world in which this drama plays out.

The movie confirms what I've known for a long time: Ridley Scott apparently can do no wrong.

Thrilling and exciting movie about terrorism , spies and geopolitical issues

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 14 November 2008]

The film deals about a young spy named Roger Ferris(Leonardo DiCaprio), a CIA operative serving in Jordan. He's working for CIA chief named Ed Hoffman(Russell Crowe). Ed is a very occupied man, as efficient boss as father of family. The super-powerful CIA uses technological-gizmo-surveillance satellites for people spying and hound terrorists relentlessly. Ferris schemes a plot to chase the mastermind terrorist named Al Saleem . In Jordan Roger forms a shaky alliance with Hani (Mark Strong),the boss of Jordanian Intelligence to break the terrorist ring which are bombing civilian targets .Ferris try to stop cruel terrorist who plans terrorist bombings by means an uncanny masquerade . Meanwhile Ferris falls in love with a Palestine nurse and aid-worker named Aisha(Farahani).

Story's core is interesting and script is dense with information and drama. The ultra-brisk editing and rapid scenes movement leaves little time to consider some inadequacies. The picture is a crossover from 'the Siege'(98,Edward Zwick with Denzel Washington,Tony Shalhoub) about the dangerous terrorism Arab; 'Enemy of state' (1998, Tony Scott with Will Smith, Gene Hackman) dealing the modern surveillance systems and 'Spy game'(2001,Tony Scott with Brad Pitt, Robert Redford)concerning the spy-world on Middle East. Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe sustain interest in this tale of technology run amok and terrorism. DiCaprio is good as tough super-spy and Crowe's cool displaying a sarcastic performance. The use of geopolitical messages to add weight to a romantic subplot between the spy and the Palestine nurse , though feels a little forced and ,at times, excessive. The film packs adequate,evocative cinematography by Alexander Witt and agreeable musical score with Arabs overtones. The motion picture is well realized by Ridley Scott who has a career plenty of hits, as American gangster,Kingdom of heaven,Black Hawk down, Hannibal,Gladiator... Rating : Above average, well worth watching.

Too Complicated and dull for my liking

[markymark70 · 5/10 · 18 March 2009]

Political thrillers are not really my bag to be honest - I watch them but do I enjoy them? Not really. So it needs to be a very special type of movie for me to give it the thumbs up. Body of Lies is not that special.

DiCaprio is a good actor - you have to give him that - but I am not so sure about all his film choices. Of course he ain't gonna get them all right so I need to give him some slack - but this one falls on the wrong side. He plays a CIA man in the Middle-East and essentially his plot point boils down to him on the trail of a hard to find terrorist bad guy. There are other complications in his way of course - explosions, double-crosses, car-chases and even love - and the plot permeates through all these items slowing everything down to a grinding halt.

Crowe plays a soccer dad, CIA HQ man calling the shots from his earpiece, computers and satellite imagery. Neither Crowe nor DiCaprio do a bad job per se - but their very limited shared screen time bogs the film down. To be honest the whole thing is too complicated, too complex and - a word NO film-maker wants to hear said about his movie - dull. The plot is hard to follow and I felt myself looking at the movie and watching it for what it was - but not really understanding what the hell was going on? Throw in some Arabic dialogue and hey presto - total confusion.

There is one good thing to come out of this though - Mark Strong's performance as Hani Salaam is impressive. His scenes with DiCaprio are - for me - the highlight of the movie and his dark, polite yet menacing presence throughout the film is testament to his fine acting. I've never heard of this guy before, but he looks like one to watch. Overall - the complex nature of the plot means there are a few scenes thrown in here that practically explain to the audience what is going on. This - although required as I guess half the audience won't know what the hell is going on - further slows everything down and looks contrived. Even DiCaprio himself looked like a guy playing the scene against his better judgement. In the end Body of Lies is a messy affair that turns into an uninteresting, muddled, tedious couple of hours. It's always a bad sign when you just want the film to end - and the sooner the better. The ending by the way is pure Hollywood - contrived and a nick-of-time rescue thrown in for good measure.

Scott too has to take a lot of the blame here - after all he is both producer and director. His flashy style gets a little tiresome after a while and even though he is a world away from his brother Tony's quick-cut editing, he seems to be getting closer to him rather than further away. Although the production values are spot on, the locales suitably impressive and authentic - the formula for these type of movies lends itself to global manipulation of governments and also grandiose, complex plots thus dragging the enjoyment factor way down.

Body of Lies is a quickly forgettable film. 5/10.

Who Can You Trust?

[wkup · 2 October 2008]

Does trust go out the window in the time of war? It's the question the audience may ponder during the course of this film where it seems that even those on the same team aren't always working in each other's best interests.

Leonard DiCaprio stars as Roger Farris, a CIA agent who is seeking to capture a terrorist in Jordan. Farris is in constant contact with Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), a US government official with no respect or time for Farris' calls to work with Jordanian officials to solve their case.

After a mishap jeopardizes Farris lead, he teams up with Hani (Mark Strong), a charismatic and enigmatic, Jordanian covert operations official.

What follows is the push and pull between the three men's methodology on capturing the terrorist.

While "Body of Lies" is definitely a product of a post-911 world, it does not feel like the numerous post-911 political thrillers such as "Syriana" due to it's subtlety. It's more of spy thriller with a cautionary tale on America's foreign relations mixed in.

One minor complaint is the pacing of the film. There are a few stops and starts as Farris deals with the reality of the effectiveness of his enemies. As he adjusts his plans it feels as if the story starts back from the top.

But the performances are excellent from DiCaprio; who is the only actor his age who could tackle this role with the any type credibility and depth. Crowe and Strong, down to Golshifteh Farahani as Aisha, the nurse DiCaprio is drawn to and especially Oscar Isaac who plays Bassam, DiCaprio's go-to guy for information.

Nobody is Innocent

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 12 October 2008]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe team up again and this time, to really spice things up, they drag Leonardo DiCaprio along for the wild ride. This one is quite a visual treat, though at times the story (or stories) is a bit jumbled.

Crowe and DiCaprio have a love-hate relationship as CIO operatives and their missions come and go so fast that at one point Leo is in line at the airport to buy a ticket when he gets re-routed by soccer dad, Crowe.

Based on the novel by David Ignatius, the espionage thriller is a jolt to blood pressure, though the love story does seem a bit convoluted. Still the bombings, shoot-outs and chases have a very real feel and the best scenes involve the tit-for-tat between Leo and Crowe, and between Leo and Mark Strong.

As with "Syriana", I am not sure how the producers thought this subject matter might appeal to a wide audience, but it certainly has enough appeal for those fans of the genre.

Impressive visually but disjointed and long winded

[logos1 · 6/10 · 2 November 2009]

As a visual spectacle, Body of Lies often impresses. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance also has its moments in the movie. For other commentators, those factors seem to be sufficient to rate it highly. I, on the other hand, was tempted to rate it lower than 6 as I found it to fall completely flat as entertainment.

The movie is simply too long and too disjointed to be entertaining. It has an impressive buildup that whets your appetite for a great climax that never really comes. Even the torture scene referred to in other reviews was not credible for me.

It takes a long time for this movie to, ultimately, get nowhere. Russell Crowe is largely wasted in an unlikable, one-dimensional role. There are moments of excitement that make for great trailer material in this movie, but the thread that would tie them all together is not sufficiently compelling. My whole family agreed that they wished we'd rented something else.

DiCaprio, Crowe & Scott do their best in this listless, murky geopolitical drama

[george.schmidt · 6/10 · 20 October 2008]

BODY OF LIES (2008) **1/2 Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani, Oscar Issac, Ali Suliman, Alon Abutbul, Simon McBurney. Murky geopolitical drama based on David Ignatius' novel about a CIA op (DiCaprio) attempting to take down a Bin Laden-ian terrorist in the Middle East with handler Crowe (going the full Clooney – gaining 50 pounds and literally phoning in his performance) acting as his eyes and ears throughout the course of action that has many pitfalls and dark alleys to pursue. Filmmaker Ridley Scott, working with an at- times-hard-to-keep interesting screenplay adaptation by William Monahan, does his best but ultimately the listlessness is bogged down until the final explosive act.

A great political thriller

[Sergiodave · 8/10 · 8 October 2021]

When you have three actors of the calibre of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and Mark Strong being directed by Ridley Scott your hopes for a good movie are pretty high, and this film does not fail to deliver. A far more believable take on the machinations of international espionage, this movie had me hooked right from the beginning. A very fine movie.

Chilling espionage drama

[jb_campo · 7/10 · 16 January 2016]

Body of Lies is a scary film because you are never certain what is going to happen next. Dicaprio excels as Ferris, middle-east-based CIA agent who actually likes being in the middle east. He and his counterpart, Crowe (as Hoffman), who is based stateside, are both seasoned espionage agents tracking a middle eastern bomber blowing up places in Europe. Deals and side deals, observers in crowds, cars following you, people talking quietly in groups. All this ratchets up the drama about who knows what, and who is being grabbed next. When you throw in a potential love interest for Dicaprio, that raises the tension and mystery yet more.

By far the surprise star is Mark Strong as Hani, the suave, debonair head of Jordanian security who has a symbiotic relationship with the CIA. They need each other, but who is using whom? Ferris tries to play both sides of the street by not lying to Hani, while working with Hoffman who would lie to anyone to get what he wants. Hani is terrific. When he steps in a room you don't know if he's going to sweet talk you, or rip your fingernails out.

Body of Lies has terrific acting throughout by the entire cast. The story is quite realistic. The cinematography is realistic, and the editing and directing keeps this espionage action drama moving along.

There are several violent scenes that might not be for the squeamish, so be warned. Otherwise, this film was terrific. Reminded me a lot of the Redford/Pitt film Spy Game. You will enjoy Body of Lies.

Engaging, intelligent

[jemps918 · 9/10 · 11 October 2008]

V. well-made; everyone from the cast and crew pulled their own weight in Body of Lies.

Director Ridley Scott's genius shines through what could have been another unpalatable, trite topic of the US' relations with the Middle East and terrorism. He expertly unravels the story of CIA operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is assigned to flush out an evasive terrorist who is blowing up public places all over the world. Ferris is increasingly frustrated with his boss Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe)'s impatience and double dealings, which more than once puts himself in jeopardy, challenges the trust he is trying to build with Jordanian leader Hani (Mark Strong) and his budding romance with the pretty Palestinian nurse Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani).

DiCaprio just keeps getting better and better as he is now more able to lose himself in a role and successfully shed the pretty. Crowe does well in an understated but dangerously quiet role as a Washington-based puppetmaster. The versatile Italian-Austrian Andy Garcia-lookalike Strong is fantastic as the powerful Hani, while Farahani's face lights up the screen and turns in a memorable performance as well.

The attention to detail in this movie is just awesome; the action sequences are not over the top but satisfactory enough to not lose the main storyline despite the complex thread of subplots. Overall, an engaging, intelligently-made film.

Vivid but uneven

[chaswe-28402 · 7/10 · 9 November 2017]

Unmemorable because difficult to follow, and I've watched it three and a half times; one of them with the director and others commentating. It gets clearer the more you watch it, like other of Ridley's films. Great attention to detail, which works a lot of the time, but not always. Visually effective. However, it's not an uplifting story, or rewarding to watch, in spite of Golshifteh, as attractive here as she was in Paterson. Another reviewer has pointed out that there was nobody else pleasant or decent enough to root for; they were all nasty in varying ways, with DiCaprio slightly more appealing than Crowe, which isn't saying much.

What's the message ? That war, especially Middle East war, is brutal, cynically treacherous and indifferent to suffering; kill or be killed ? Suicidal, sacrificial, martyr-minded ? Not very entertaining or enlightening. I don't need to know that. I'm sufficiently aware of it already, in any case.

A marvelous character study

[laursene · 9/10 · 22 October 2008]

Amidst all the slam-bang, Body of Lies is actually a superb character study of two preening, bumbling CIA (presumably) agents trying to save the world in the Middle East. Roger Ferris (Di Caprio) is the agent on the ground, and Ed Hoffman (Crowe) is his remote-control boss in Washington. Their collective M.O. is to overreact and improvise at every turn, aided and abetted by their deep attachment to high-tech gadgetry and fundamental disregard for human lives. Their ally and foil, the Jordanian head of intelligence (Mark Strong), prefers more patient methods informed by a less skin-deep understanding of the people(s) involved.

All three are trying to penetrate and take out a shadowy, violent Islamic fundamentalist group and its leader. The plot is serviceable, the elements familiar, but it all works well to coax out Scott's and screenwriter William Monahan's critiques of the American way of unconventional war in the Middle East. The movie itself is funny, visually fine (Scott's touch hasn't deserted him), and engaging. Its center is the uneasy but highly entertaining partnership between Di Caprio and Crowe. At times verging on pure comedy (their semi-serious macho argument over which of them could beat up the other 10 years ago is a high point), the film never tips too far in this direction thanks to the two actors' easy skill and Scott's sure hand at maintaining a certain tone.

Is Body of Lies an antiwar statement? I don't think so - it's possible Monahan and Scott even think the Americans' grotesque imperial venture has a chance, if only they could learn a few lessons from the likes of the self-possessed Jordanian. But this seems unlikely. At the beginning, Crowe makes the very good point that it's precisely the Americans' mastery of (by?) their high-tech appurtenances that makes it nearly impossible for them to see their foes, who use much more down-to-earth techniques - like passing instructions by word of mouth. He then proceeds to ignore his own advice throughout the movie. Di Caprio rips into Crowe for his disregard of the lives of their local operatives, then goes on to thoughtlessly place in mortal danger an architect and an Iranian refugee nurse with whom he's infatuated.

They just don't learn. If they did, they wouldn't be who they are: the gallant spreaders of justice, democracy, and casual calamity. If that's what Scott and Monahan are trying to tell us, it's antiwar statement enough, the same news that Graham Greene brought us over 50 years ago with The Quiet American, updated and just as pertinent.

An interesting thriller

[danielmanson · 7/10 · 10 October 2021]

So I'm a big Leo fan so when I saw this film on Netflix, I had to give it a go. And I'll be honest, it's not a film that's going to blow you away, but it's definitely interesting and yeah, it's a good thriller to get stuck into.

The film does have some negative points I'd like to mention. So the first for me is that Russell Crowe's character just wasn't a likeable or engaging guy. Whenever he was on screen I just didn't want him there. He did the role well, but the writing of the character just made him annoying above anything else.

The small element of romance they added into the film. I get some will enjoy that part of the plot, but for me I just did not care whatsoever. It wasn't involved long enough to really mean anything so it just felt like filler. I mean ultimately I don't watch a movie on the war on terror to see a romantic connection between 2 characters. Not for me.

The plot itself was actually really good. Just wanted to mention a couple of minor things. So I thought the start of the film (first 20 mins) was a little slow. I wasn't too sure on the direction of the film as not a lot was really happening. It does massively pick up however and it's a dead good watch.

Finally I thought the ending was a little underwhelming. It ended nicely, as you'd expect it to end. Maybe that was the issue? But, it kind of just happened suddenly and boom, it ends. It just felt a little rushed and I wanted to see a bit more on the whole ending.

These points aren't movie ending though and overall I really did enjoy this film. As mentioned at the beginning, it's a plot that really keeps you invested and connected to the characters. I'd definitely say it's a different take on an idea that's been done multiple times, so it's worth watching in my opinion.

Almost Clever, But Not Quite

[wesbroadway-639-558264 · 3/10 · 20 January 2010]

Very hard to develop any attachment to any of the characters. Many of the characters just do not come anywhere near matching up to what one would reasonably expect from their types - especially the highly-intelligent and suspicious CIA spook who falls almost instantly for a girl he knows nothing about. The script simply fails to bring these characters to any point where I could emotionally connect with them, instead just allowing them to dangle along throughout the whole film. Due to this, I found it very hard to even think about entering the world as presented on the screen, it was simply too cluttered with lingering thoughts about what just happened, and why it didn't make any sense.

Aside from that, the quality of cinematography is decent enough, although I'm certainly no buff in this regards. Sum total: The few almost-clever twists along the way simply couldn't rise above the noise created by a poor script.