Body of Lies
Trust no one. Deceive everyone.
CIA operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan. When Ferris devises a plan to infiltrate his network, he must first win the backing of cunning CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the collegial, but perhaps suspect, head of Jordanian intelligence.
Although ostensibly his allies, Ferris questions how far he can really trust these men without putting his entire operation - and his life - on the line.
Member Reviews
No So Thrilling Thriller. - PirateKat
At more than one point during the movie I found myself questioning what the actual plot was. At the end I could see that the first hour was just set up for the second half of the movie.
The acting was good enough to keep me watching to see if the story would in fact go anywhere. In fact, the acting was great, best part of the movie. What this movie really lacks in though is fleshing out of the relationships between characters. We see them interact in situations, but the story doesn't give us enough information about the characters or their motivations to really understand how they are affected by each other. This is precisely what kept me from being able to really suspend my disbelief and immerse myself in this film.
All in all, not a bad movie, story is so-so, but the dialogue is decent and the acting great considering. There are no real twists, like your standard war/spy/thriller fare, the story is easy to guess as you are watching, but the visuals are nicely crafted and appealing to watch. I did find it a bit on the long side, in my opinion they could have shaved a good 30 minutes out of the beginning of the movie and it wouldn't be missed.
So if you like espionage movies or a good popcorn flick, go ahead and enjoy, just don't expect to be on the edge of your seat.Political Statements Overshadow Performances - CaptainPhil
Strong performances by the principal cast members are overshadowed by heavy handed political statements about the American presence in the Middle East. Strong, obvious bias takes away from the film. Much like "Green Zone", the writer/director/producers seem more interested in making political statements than presenting a story, and therefore, the story and performances suffer. What could have been a great film is turned into mediocrity.Disappointing - MovieBug
Another terrorist movie, with the same cliches, themes, white-hats, black-hats and shades-of-gray hats. If you are expecting something from Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe on the level of Gladiator, you will be disappointed.
Overall, the movie is well crafted. Cinematography is very good, and the acting is also very good. Casting is less good. Di Caprio does his best, but he doesn't cast well as a tough CIA operative. And you're not sure who exactly Russell Crowe's character is supposed to represent, although he does his best to play it through.
The plot wanders about for about two-thirds of the movie. There are wheels-within-wheels but you never really get to know what they are, which is not very satisfying, just confusing.
The climax is fairly predictable, but is the most coherent and logical part of the film. The ending is fairy tale, bordering on silly.
Member Reviews
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No So Thrilling Thriller. - PirateKat
At more than one point during the movie I found myself questioning what the actual plot was. At the end I could see that the first hour was just set up for the second half of the movie.
The acting was good enough to keep me watching to see if the story ...Political Statements Overshadow Performances - CaptainPhil
Strong performances by the principal cast members are overshadowed by heavy handed political statements about the American presence in the Middle East. Strong, obvious bias takes away from the film. Much like "Green Zone", the writer/director/producers seem ...Disappointing - MovieBug
Another terrorist movie, with the same cliches, themes, white-hats, black-hats and shades-of-gray hats. If you are expecting something from Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe on the level of Gladiator, you will be disappointed.
Overall, the movie is well ...