I’d be hard-pressed to give any movie with both Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio a bad review. (If you’re not convinced of the stars’ talent, you need to rent Crowe’s A Beautiful Mind and DiCaprio’s The Departed). The two actors have earned their stripes, and though Body of Lies does not have the most original or profound plot, it certainly gives viewers a stimulating ride.
Set in the United States and the Middle East, the story follows Roger Ferris (DiCaprio), a CIA operative. As Ferris lives and works with suspected terrorists and various Iraqis, he also interacts with Ed Hoffman (Crowe), his superior at CIA headquarters. Crowe plays the stereotypical, disconnected CIA boss; he lives in D.C. but doesn’t really exist anywhere so concrete. His phone is constantly glued to his ear, and he has a great disdain for his family life, never more apparent than when he tells DiCaprio never to have kids. Arrogant and cocky, Crowe portrays detachment with style, never more sickening than when he tells his wife he is out making an early morning call because he is “saving civilization.”
DiCaprio plays the good guy who lives on the ground and connects with the people around him. He sports several flaws in order to make the character realistic, including being newly divorced from his wife, but nothing unforgivable. As Hoffman points out, divorce is part of their business. While Crowe can show nothing but dislike for the Middle East, DiCaprio is obviously fond of the land and people, actually falling for an Arab girl, Aisha.
There are also the typical tough and slick Middle Eastern intelligence guys who intimidate, but may save civilians’ lives. Particularly notable is Hani (Mark Strong), who is the head of Jordanian intelligence and has a working relationship with Ferris. He warns Ferris from the beginning never to lie to him, an obvious foreshadowing, but clearly doesn’t have a problem keeping his own secrets. Strong’s cool performance keeps up with those of DiCaprio and Crowe. Within 20 minutes of the start of the movie, the viewer has been warned that this movie will not be entirely original, but that a smart, fast-paced script with two of today’s most talented actors will make the movie at least worth the price of admission. An overall lack of concern for human life lingers throughout the movie, though, and is disturbing because of our current involvement in the Middle East and because of the implications for our real actions there.
The filming is effective. Shots of the actors’ faces enable the viewer to understand who these characters are and to experience the quality of the movie’s acting. In one particular shot, Hoffman is on the phone with Ferris, and the camera focuses on the former as an American flag trims the right edge of the screen. Less than subtle, the scene implies Hoffman is a semi-corrupt guy working in an extremely complex situation, honestly trying to help the U.S. stop terrorism. A good cast and a good director means the movie more than passes.
Will you be missing out if you don’t see this movie? No, not really. But if you have a free evening and wouldn’t mind some intellectual entertainment, go see Body of Lies, and you will not be disappointed.
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