Movie Review - Body of Lies

As thrillers involving complicated events in the Middle East seem to be proliferating, it becomes more and more confusing to keep up with the convoluted plots of these movies and "Body of Lies" is no exception. I spent the first half hour wondering what was going on, but as things progressed I began to figure out some of the story and enjoy its intricate action. With a dynamic duo like Russell Crowe and Leonardo Dicaprio leading the way, even the CIA becomes more exciting than it should be. Crowe plays Ed Hoffman and Dicaprio is Roger Ferris, both CIA partners involved in a risky operation attempting to apprehend a terrorist cell based in Jordan. Hoffman gives orders to Ferris from Langley while dropping his kids off at school or watching his daughter's soccer game. Ferris has the dangerous task of operating covertly on the streets of Jordan and working with the Chief of Jordanian intelligence, Hani Salaam (a riveting performance by the debonair Mark Strong) who may or may not be trustworthy. Ferris chooses to adopt the approach of the locals when it comes to investigating terrorists, but Hoffman continually forges ahead with plans that thwart Ferris' efforts and set up multiple disasters.

It's always a joy to watch such outstanding actors as Crowe and Dicaprio, even if they are only sharing the screen a couple of times during the movie. There were some interesting comments on the fumbling way in which the CIA attempts to infiltrate covert terrorist operations without understanding the culture or political climate of the countries in which they're operating. There's also an effective romance between Dicaprio and a local nurse (Golshifteh Farahani). Perhaps I'm becoming a bit weary of these terrorist/CIA intrigues, because I wasn't able to become completely involved in this movie despite its many good qualities and excellent cast. It's missing some of the usual Ridley Scott punch, although the ambiguous ending and intense character dynamics make up for a less than ideal script.

Things to love about this movie: Good performances; a terrific cultural conflict scene at the dinner table when Dicaprio is introduced to Farahani's sister
Things to hate about this movie: Very confusing beginning set-up with a hard to follow plot; too many standard scenes typical of this genre (torture, bombings, etc.)
Pleasant surprises: Dicaprio is down and dirty in a fully adult role; some truly surprising plot developments
Unpleasant surprises: Crowe and Dicaprio have very few scenes together; Crowe isn't given much screen time or enough of a character to play; William Monahan's script is not up to his usual high standard