Body of Lies: Movie Review

Body of Lies: Movie Review

Director : Ridley Scott 
Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong 
Rating : *** 

Based on David Ignatius' 2007 novel, Body of Lies is an espionage spy thriller about officer Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), a CIA covert operative working in Iraq and trying to gather lethal information on Islamic terrorist cells to reach their mastermind Al Saleem (Alon Aboutboul). 

He is backed by his boss in US, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) who exploits Roger's local contacts but finds them disposable. 

After losing such a friend in Iraq, Roger travels to Jordan and heads the US Intelligence department there. He befriends the head of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Salaam (Mark Strong) and through his help he targets to reach Al Saleem. But this alliance is made fragile through Hoffman's double-dealings and concealed schemes. 

From the opening bombing scene in Manchester to character introduction in Samarra (Iraq) and the plot development in Amman (Jordan), the narrative continually crosses geographical boundaries but never loses your attention for a single moment. 

The story just momentarily shifts base to Washington or Langley but the logistics are widely spread in the Middle East covering countries from Turkey to Syria. 

Master Director Ridley Scott keeps the proceedings wonderfully entertaining, getting neither artistically subtle nor commercially overboard. 

The screenplay runs at breakneck speed and is coupled with ruthless explosions, exhilarating chases, satellite surveillance, smart elements of suspense and some gruesome torture. 

Halfway through the film, Roger comes up with a scheme to devise a fake terrorist group to challenge the terrorist organization of Al Saleem and get him out of his hidings. Though the idea is interesting, it comes in a bit too late in the film, giving way for the formation of an entirely new plot-point rather than building up on the existing one. 

A major cliché that the film resorts to is Roger's romance track with Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani) that is basically employed in the story to humanize Ferris. 

The love story is not much of a hindrance to the central plot but towards the end it maneuvers the motivations of Ferris from his quest for Saleem being reduced merely to the rescue of his sweetheart. Also the film opts for a fashionably filmy ending. 

Scott technically enhances the film through striking camerawork and the extreme close-up shots in action sequences keeps you on the edge-of-the-seat in anticipation that the next bullet will rip the screen. The action appears real and is slickly choreographed. 

Body of Lies does highlight the politics of war between the West and Islam but works more effectively as a thriller drama. 

Through the Crowe-Caprio relationship, the film emphasizes that agents on field have a better picture of the situation than their comfortably stationed superiors in Washington. And that the bureaucrats only give orders that interest their political strategies, regardless of human exploitation. 

Leonardo reigns supreme in the film, bruised and battered in every single frame but conversely exuding tremendous energy in his proceedings and performance. 

Russel Crowe is relegated to being a supporting actor with less screen presence and zero character development. He still adds requisite poise to the casual approach to his character. Mark Strong is impressive as the intelligence head with a cool and composed attitude. 

Body of Lies is truly amazing for Leonardo DiCaprio's exceptional act and Ridley Scott's compelling direction.