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BODY OF LIES

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Golshifteh Farahani and Mark Strong

Directed By: Ridley Scott

R for strong violence including some torture, and for language throughout

By John Delia

Body of Lies starts with a bang and keeps the excitement going to the very end. Think James Bond fighting terrorism in the Middle East. For those who like their action mixed with a good storyline and a reasonably good ending, this film should be on your list to see on the big screen.
The movie follows Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) the best man U.S. Intelligence has on the ground, in places where human life is worth no more than the information it can get you. In operations that take him around the globe, Ferris' next breath often depends on the voice at the other end of a secure phone line, CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Crowe). Strategizing from a laptop in the suburbs, Hoffman is on the trail of an emerging terrorist leader who has orchestrated a campaign of bombings while eluding the most sophisticated intelligence network in the world. To lure the terrorist out into the open, Ferris will have to penetrate his murky world, but the closer Ferris gets to the target, the more he discovers that trust is both a dangerous commodity and the only one that will get him out alive. When he starts an affair with Aisha (Farahani) however, mixing business with pleasure takes on a whole new meaning.
I liked DiCaprio in the role of the CIA agent being dangled as bait at times while his boss (Crowe) oversees the operation thousands of miles from the danger. Still the consummate actor, DiCaprio here reminds me of his performance in Blood Diamond, which turned out to be one of his best performances. With Body of Lies he commands the screen and makes his character a standout.
As for Crowe, however, I believe his talent was wasted in the film. Pictured as a frumpy, overweight CIA chief with little to do than pressure DiCaprio’s character from most times miles away, Crowe’s Hoffman could have been played by any B list actor who probably would have put a lot more vigor into the role.
Scott’s direction continues to be great with total command of each scene making the film a winner. Although I did not agree with the ending, the energy Scott puts into the film keeps the film entertaining.
Body of Lies contains some harsh language and horrifying scenes of terrorist bombings and should be considered when deciding whether to take youngsters to see the film.

FINAL ALALYSIS: With Body of Lies, Scott brings an explosive film to the screen. (3 ½ of 5 stars)