Body of Lies Review
Body of Lies
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: William Monaghan, David Ignatius
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani, Ali Suliman
Movies related to the war in Iraq have been a pretty tough sell in the U.S. thus far. I guess it’s not that surprising; no one wants to go to the movies to get depressed when they can get enough of that from simply watching the news. But if you throw a little star power into the mix, suddenly people take notice. Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio are in this movie? It’s directed by the guy who did Gladiator and American Gangster? Now you’re talking.
The problem with Body of Lies is that it’s a big budget Hollywood movie that grossly oversimplifies things, throws big name actors into roles where they aren’t really believable, and in the end, it still manages to be way too dull to even satisfy on a pure entertainment level.
I’m a fan of modern globetrotting espionage flicks (something we’re seeing a bit more of thanks to the Bourne series) and I’m always willing to check out a movie that may have something intelligent to say about what’s going on in the Middle East. What’s more, I’m a fan of Ridley Scott, one of the few A-list directors who can successfully infuse blockbusters with a certain level of artistry and depth. All the right elements are present in Body of Lies, but somehow it just doesn’t ever coalesce into anything significant.
Based on the best-selling book by David Ignatius, the story centers on CIA agent Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) who is trying to infiltrate an Al Qaeda network in Jordan. Along the way, he is monitored by his supervisor (Crowe), who communicates via cell phone from the comfort and security of his home in the U.S. Ferris partners with Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), head of Jordanian intelligence, but when the higher-ups in the CIA demand immediate results, Ferris is forced to go behind Salaam’s back. Along the way, Ferris also starts a relationship with a young female nurse named Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani), which eventually puts her at risk as well.
I didn’t really buy either Leonardo DiCaprio or Russell Crowe in this movie. Crowe reportedly gained 63 pounds for his part, which could be the most useless body transformation ever. His role could have been played by anyone at all, and although I found it kind of amusing that he quarterbacked the whole operation while driving his kids to soccer practice, Crowe’s actual performace was a carbon copy of many we’ve seen from him previously. DiCaprio, on the other hand, was sufficiently intense and charming, but did not for a second seem like someone who could blend seamlessly into the Arab culture.
Ridley Scott’s direction is, for the most part, competent, however, he rehashes a lot of the same old tricks we’ve seen before (ie. light beams shining through bullet holes, etc.). The Middle Eastern locales make for some interesting scenery, although after a while the endless shifts in geography start to blur together.
The screenplay for Body of Lies was written by William Monaghan, who also did The Departed, and it certainly feels like it. There is a lot of verbal sparring and tough guy one-liners that really didn’t feel appropriate in this particular movie. The love interest subplot is just a little too convenient in a movie that is already overcrowded with details, and exists for the sole purpose of giving DiCaprio’s character a weakness.
I was hoping for something like Syriana (a movie that admittedly went slightly over my head), but Body of Lies is not as smart nor as subtle. It drags a lot throughout the second half, and with all the deception that’s going on, after a while it’s hard to keep track of what all the characters are even trying to accomplish.
There are a few decent action sequences, and there is a pretty intense scene towards the end where Ferris is captured by the terrorist group, that kind of jolted me out of the half-snoozing state I was in. Of course, this is also where the movie decided to get all self-righteous, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s character started spouting off a rant against fundamentalism that just felt trite. On top of that, the scene kind of seemed a bit cheap and underhanded since it plays on imagery we’ve seen far too many times before.
Ultimately, the movie ends with a bit of a whimper, and the whole story seems absolutely pointless. Maybe the movie was meant to reinforce the fact that the U.S. is completely helpless when it comes to intelligence in the Middle East, and that terrorism is part of a vicious cycle. Either way, it didn’t make for a very satisfying movie, and it certainly didn’t tell us anything we didn’t know before. With Iraq-related movies like this, it’s no wonder the general public is choosing to turn a blind eye towards them. — Sean
SCORE: 
Recommended If You Like: Syriana, A Mighty Heart, The Kingdom
Comments (15)
Damn. Really wanted to see this movie, but now … I don’t. I hope you’re happy Sean!
Posted by Joel on October 14th, 2008Sorry. Most of the reviews have been lacking, so you don’t have to take my word for it. James Berardinelli did have a positive one though:
http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1365
Posted by Sean on October 14th, 2008I always find that Ridley Scott is an attraction only if he does subject matter I like.
I don’t really like political thrillers so I wasn’t ever planning on seeing this (unless it got spectacular reviews).
Posted by Ryan M. on October 14th, 2008Leo’s rant against fundamentalism at the end nearly made me laugh because I couldn’t believe it was happening. That, paired with Crowe’s “You’re walking out on AMERICA!” line at the end, nearly killed me. Otherwise, I thought the movie was decently average.
Posted by Liz on October 15th, 2008“DiCaprio…did not for a second seem like someone who could blend seamlessly into the Arab culture.”
You nailed it. It was in the back of my mind the whole time that no one ever notices this white guy just walking around suspiciously and talking on a cell phone. Overlook that, and the movie is kind of fun.
The guys at filmspotting really liked it too. But their reviews are getting shottier each week.
At any rate, I had some fun with this one, but it’s basically explosions and guns with the facade of an espionage thriller.
Posted by Andrew James on October 15th, 2008just saw the movie and i thought that it was good. movie goers and especially movie critics who live in the u.s. and who want a happy hollywood ending should skip this movie and watch beverly hills chihuahua instead.as far as crowe and di caprio being convincing- come on man, its a freaking movie for christ sake. i mean, does a man n a bat suit seem convincing? i had no problems with the movie, its message or plot. whether one disagrees or not with it shouldnt be used as something to rate the movie negatively. ill say it wasnt a master piece but it wasnt bad either.if anyone wants a feel good movie that doesnt go against perhaps their own views of the middle east then there is always the Disney film shelf. bottom line i rate this movie a 7 out of 10, critics who rate movies based on their own personal ideals and bias, -100.
Posted by datman on October 17th, 2008Just saw the movie “Body of Lies.” Oversimplifies? Finally Hollywood is getting serious about radical islam and portraying it for what it is instead of the usual politically correct whitewash we’re used to seeing.
Go See This Film.
Posted by The Ravenshead on October 17th, 2008Apparently Ridley Scott enjoys working with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, and he likes to make movies that raise international awareness… that’s a good thing i’d say
Posted by movie fan on October 18th, 2008I completely agree with Sean. The movie is rather dull and boring than interesting. There was absolutely nothing we didn’t already know about. However, I think Leo’s performance was excellent.
Posted by Catherine on October 23rd, 2008The only thing I don’t understand is the weight-change of Russel Crowe – there was no point in gaining 63 lbs for that role.
The film was slow to get going with regards to the plot. I found myself wandering what the film was really about, until around half way through when it began to pick up. I thought Mark Strong was very good in the film and I liked his character. In fact all the acting was really good, I just think the subject matter, or the plot rather, was pretty boring.
Posted by Hunter on November 24th, 2008I thought Body of Lies was generally very good and for a change not like the typical completely unbelievable -over graphiced-corny stunted fight scenes and car chases. Refreshing in a difficult subject in the real world and great performance from RCrowe and LDeCaprio. Well directed and with atmoshere. OK it was a Hollywood Movie and probably unrealistic toa degree,but it would have to be for our westernised Movie pallets. 4/5
Posted by Martin Francis on November 24th, 2008I like this film, so interesting from begining to the end. And RCowe ’s performance was very excellent.
Posted by Tram Anh Ken on December 6th, 2008The movie was just passable.. Di Caprio’s acting was great as usual but his roles are getting very repetitive… he should move on from doing these kind of roles now… we’ve seen too many of him do the tough-guy-with-a-good-heart kinda roles… and yeah we know he can do it very well…. and Russel Crowe was absolutely wasted… he barely had any screen presence and as for that nursey romance… it was sheer irritating distraction….
Posted by renu on January 1st, 2009When I saw this movie in the theater, I smiled the whole time. Why? Because it looked just like how it is in real life. Bleak, dirty, slummy etc. in Iraq (haven’t been there, but I did do a tour in Afghanistan and it looked just like in this movie). Also using real life locations was a plus too, such as Dubai. It also showed the frustrations of trying to work with people who aren’t on the ground, and they’re calling the shots. I thought this movie was bang on for a realistic portayal of what’s going on in the Middle East. Trust me I was there, this movie scored big points for realism. War isn’t always fun, so don’t knock it for being boring. This movie is more of a Jarhead type of movie. Less exciting, but a lot closer to reality.
Posted by Aaron on March 1st, 2009Ridley Scott is A List Director? YOU gotta be kiddig me. His movies are cliche crap!
Posted by ima on April 18th, 2009Leave a Reply