57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Body Of Artistic Movie Making, February 18, 2009
I have been awaiting the release of this dramatic action thriller directed by Ridley Scott and Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crow for a long time and I was not disappointed.
DiCaprio plays a C.I.A. agent in the middle east who is trying to collect intelligence and is running into twists and turns around every corner. DiCaprio's performance is outstanding. You completely forget who he is and become immersed as him as a C.I.A. agent who is undercover. This is quite an acting job considering that he is the furthest thing from that. He has the grizzled appearance of someone undercover and his scenes are so strong and commanding that he doesn't have that baby boy aspect to him that I've seen in other of his pictures. His was an Oscar worthy performance.
There is the eye in the sky tracking DiCaprio by camera from above as he goes about his seemingly rouge missions for the C.I.A. Russell Crowe plays the older C.I.A. family man who is in contact with Ferris (DiCaprio) as he walks the minefield that is intelligence gathering in the middle east. Crowe is absorbed in his daily life in America and seemingly is oblivious to the hardships and deadly consequences that Ferris is facing. This is an understated role for Crowe who also very good performance. He does not look at all like that same man who played The Gladiator. And I think this is the most relaxed character I've seen him play yet.
This film was expertly directed by Ridley Scott to the point that at times I felt as if I were there. You can almost feel the sand in your lungs and the stink of death and open air markets as you feast your eyes on this gem.
Although I'm not typically an action movie man this one reeled me in because you really didn't know what was next around the corner. The action scenes are great, by the way, even though that's not why I pick movies to watch.
This is a great movie and if you like the actors, director, and genre of this film then it is a definite for you to watch.
I give it all five stars and will watch it again.
Kevin W. Mattingly
Harrisburg Times.
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35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, Provocative DiCaprio/Crowe/Scott Thriller, December 16, 2008
"Body of Lies" is a taut, riveting thriller that weaves a tale of terrorism, espionage, and betrayal amid the current landscape of violence and retribution in the Middle East. The film is based on the novel by David Ignatius.
Leonardo DiCaprio continues to prove that he's got the acting chops and is believable in action films. Here he plays Roger Ferris, a CIA operative working to track down a bin Ladenesque terrorist named Al-Saleem. Al-Saleem's trail leads Ferris to Jordan, where he must balance working with and between his CIA handler (played with relish by an overweight, aged Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (brilliantly played by Mark Strong), who are working at crosspurposes with each other. Ferris further complicates his mission by falling for an Iranian nurse (played by Golshifteh Farahani).
The movie uses wild technology, lies and counterlies, torture, and Ferris' growing disdain with the intelligence community. Some of the movie seems quite fanciful, and maybe it is, but except for a couple of places, it holds up as a brutually honest thriller.
"Body of Lies" isn't perfect, but it doesn't have to be. It's fiction. Some may find it unbelievable, but it's a movie, and that means it doesn't have to get everything right. It just has to entertain, and it certainly does.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast Paced, Action Packed Movie, March 6, 2009
Ridley Scott delivers again in a long line of excellent films.
Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray],
Alien (The Director's Cut),
Thelma & Louise (Special Edition), and
Black Hawk Down to name some of the more influential films he has directed.
The common theme, repeated again in Body of Lies, people's struggle to do the right thing, to fight for good. Scott also has a particular film style that he uses to great advantage in this film. This story in other hands would not be nearly as powerful. The pacing in Body of Lies is very similar to Blade Runner.
This is essentially a series of three short stories, or a play in three acts. Each act starts out calmly, building to a huge climax, and then there is the resolution. The common thread through each act is Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. It would appear at first that this is going to be a very complicated film, mideastern conflict films or news articles are usually incredibly complex and mind numbing. However, Scott has managed to use the appropriate names and complicated cultures, but keeps the film focused on the critical story line - Roger Ferris (DiCaprio). In fact, the film is very simple and easy to follow.
In the first two acts, DiCaprio was believeable with his beard, dirty clothes, and speaking arabic languages. His character was a bit less believeable in the third act and as he started the relationship with Aisha. There were a few moments where the film wandered a bit. It was especially when Roger drove himself in a vehicle. That may sound strange, but it was emphasized several times, "do want to ride in the front or back?", that he was not driving. There was a loss of focus with him at the wheel.
Russell Crowe plays an overweight, southern boy, CIA director, named Ed Hoffman. He is simply perfect through the whole film. Never a misstep. Crowe has an amazing range in his acting ability.
The story is somewhat like 24, terriorist chases, a relationship with the pretty woman, trust me I know whay I'm doing, etc. But Body of Lies moves much farther ahead, and makes a stronger more believeable message than 24.
From a production standpoint, Ridley Scott is a master. This reviewer noted only a few missteps. One sadly obvious one was a pan to follow Roger walking across a hallway late in the film. Roger walks way out of focus and then back in - the camera movement was too radical and quick to keep focus. It sadly was not on purpose. Otherwise, everything else was spot on perfect considering the film genre.
This is definately an R rated film. There is a fairly brutal scene at the end, and some punishing (this was the term used in the film) earlier on. There's enough language and violence to land appropriately in this category. Probably not a film for younger viewers at all. There is no nudity.
The DVD contains no bonus features at all. Simply the movie, sound choices, and chapters. But that's the way it should be, the focus was on the quality of the transfer and DVD. Ridley Scott is actually a bigger fan of releasing different versions later on, instead of bonus features.
This was an exciting, easy to follow and understand film from start to finish. The ending was well near perfect.
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