Body of Lies
If director Ridley Scott’s American Gangster was a sleeker, glossier, more commercially friendly take on the likes of crime dramas such as The Departed , then the director’s new film, Body of Lies, offers a similar treatment of Middle Eastern set spy-thrillers like Syriana.
On the whole, Body of Lies is a highly enjoyable, engaging film. It focuses on CIA field operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his Washington DC-based department head Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) as they attempt to locate Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul), the mysterious head of a deadly Islamic terrorist organisation that is causing mayhem across Europe. This involves entering into a rickety alliance with Hani (Mark Strong) the ice-cold head of the Jordanian secret service.
Given the recent American elections, it’s quite interesting to compare DiCaprio and Crowe’s characters with Obama and McCain respectively. Ferris (DiCaprio) is a “new” American – cynical and hard bitten, but nonetheless aware of and able to integrate with foreign cultures. He’s fluent in Arabic, can even pass as an Arab on occasion, and is more than willing to share resources with other governments if it gets results. Most importantly, he treats his local contacts with respect, and is even pursuing a cross-cultural relationship with a Jordanian nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani).
Crowe’s Hoffman by comparison is the cliché of the American decision maker the world loves to hate – a bloated Southerner who is incapable of compromise or tact; a man who dishes out risky orders from behind his desk without ever having to face the consequences on the front lines. He’s your standard hypocrite – a devoted family man who won’t provide for the families of his Middle Eastern contacts when they’re killed following his instructions. Worst of all, Hoffman barges into delicate negotiations, throws his weight around, and collapses all the trust Ferris has worked so hard to develop. Impatient for results, he runs operations behind Ferris’s back and blows major opportunities. And all he can muster in terms of an apology is “Oops”.
With DiCaprio and Crowe in one film, performances in Body of Lies are obviously excellent. And they have to be, to sustain the film’s energy during the long stretches between the explosions and action. If you are going into Body of Lies expecting something hyper-stylised and hyper-paced like Enemy of the State (from Ridley Scott’s brother, Tony), you will be disappointed here. The pacing of Body of Lies is taunt but the audience has to sit through plenty of meetings and discussions. This said, when the action does kick in, it’s gritty, gripping and exhilarating – although that’s expected of the man who brought us Black Hawk Down.
It’s only really in the last third of Body of Lies that things start to fall apart. An intriguing plot line that has Ferris resorting to a complicated, unethical scheme to lure out Al-Saleem is suddenly aborted. Instead, the film veers off into cliché territory as Ferris must make the ultimate sacrifice for his love. Blah blah. Body of Lies’ carefully established world of grey moralities suddenly shifts into stark black and white as cultural and religious hatred takes over.
This final act is really a pity because up until this point Body of Lies has been highly compelling. Still, this hard hitting film didn’t deserve its failure at the American box office. So ignore the bland trailer if it’s been putting you off seeing this one – Body of Lies is definitely one of your better options if you’re heading to the cinema anytime soon.
On the whole, Body of Lies is a highly enjoyable, engaging film. It focuses on CIA field operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his Washington DC-based department head Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) as they attempt to locate Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul), the mysterious head of a deadly Islamic terrorist organisation that is causing mayhem across Europe. This involves entering into a rickety alliance with Hani (Mark Strong) the ice-cold head of the Jordanian secret service.
Given the recent American elections, it’s quite interesting to compare DiCaprio and Crowe’s characters with Obama and McCain respectively. Ferris (DiCaprio) is a “new” American – cynical and hard bitten, but nonetheless aware of and able to integrate with foreign cultures. He’s fluent in Arabic, can even pass as an Arab on occasion, and is more than willing to share resources with other governments if it gets results. Most importantly, he treats his local contacts with respect, and is even pursuing a cross-cultural relationship with a Jordanian nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani).
Crowe’s Hoffman by comparison is the cliché of the American decision maker the world loves to hate – a bloated Southerner who is incapable of compromise or tact; a man who dishes out risky orders from behind his desk without ever having to face the consequences on the front lines. He’s your standard hypocrite – a devoted family man who won’t provide for the families of his Middle Eastern contacts when they’re killed following his instructions. Worst of all, Hoffman barges into delicate negotiations, throws his weight around, and collapses all the trust Ferris has worked so hard to develop. Impatient for results, he runs operations behind Ferris’s back and blows major opportunities. And all he can muster in terms of an apology is “Oops”.
With DiCaprio and Crowe in one film, performances in Body of Lies are obviously excellent. And they have to be, to sustain the film’s energy during the long stretches between the explosions and action. If you are going into Body of Lies expecting something hyper-stylised and hyper-paced like Enemy of the State (from Ridley Scott’s brother, Tony), you will be disappointed here. The pacing of Body of Lies is taunt but the audience has to sit through plenty of meetings and discussions. This said, when the action does kick in, it’s gritty, gripping and exhilarating – although that’s expected of the man who brought us Black Hawk Down.
It’s only really in the last third of Body of Lies that things start to fall apart. An intriguing plot line that has Ferris resorting to a complicated, unethical scheme to lure out Al-Saleem is suddenly aborted. Instead, the film veers off into cliché territory as Ferris must make the ultimate sacrifice for his love. Blah blah. Body of Lies’ carefully established world of grey moralities suddenly shifts into stark black and white as cultural and religious hatred takes over.
This final act is really a pity because up until this point Body of Lies has been highly compelling. Still, this hard hitting film didn’t deserve its failure at the American box office. So ignore the bland trailer if it’s been putting you off seeing this one – Body of Lies is definitely one of your better options if you’re heading to the cinema anytime soon.
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