Body of Lies
Well, the lies just start from the get-go.
The initial lie being that this will be a good movie.
Body of Lies stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe and is directed by Ridley Scott. A slam dunk, right? Not necessarily. In the film DiCaprio’s character is an CIA agent working in the middle east attempting to track down a major terrorist. Russell Crowe is his boss-esque person who calls the shots from the states. Amid the terrorist hunt, DiCaprio finds a nice young lady that, of course, will become used against him later in the film.
I think part of the problem here, is that the film was complicated to follow to one extent, but too basic to another. Trying to keep track of all the terrorists and names of people they are following was, at times, confusing, but then the plot itself seemed to lack real intensity and motivation. The characters were likeable, but I didn’t think DiCaprio’s character was developed enough. Crowe’s character was a dbag from the start, so at least they did a good job making you not like him.
I was also disappointing in the direction. Ridley Scott usually brings an edgy unique directorial style to his films. Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator are all good examples of this. This film seemed to lack the normal Scott luster.
Was there anything good about this film? Sure. DiCaprio did a good job, but he only had so much to work with. I really liked the juxtaposition of DiCaprio in the middle of the desert, guns in hand while talking on the cell phone to Crowe, who is in the middle of driving his kids to school. This back and forth that we often see between the characters was a great perspective. It showed Crowe’s lack of emotional connection to the job being done across the ocean, which DiCaprio reiterates at one point by shouting at him:
Ed Hoffman (Crowe): Yes you can. Now you go home, get a few hours sleep and you call me when you’re thinking straight.
Roger Ferris (DiCaprio): Your know what, I AM thinking straight, alright, you’re not, you can’t ’cause you’re a million f***in miles away.
I feel that this may strike a cord with many who feel that wars are being fought from a distance by people with absolutely no attachment to the involvement. These people still takes their kids to school or sit and eat breakfast with their wives, despite the horrors that are not only occurring, but that in many cases, they are controlling.
There are some brutal scenes in this film as well. DiCaprio’s torture scene is beyond violent and there are many people getting blasted to shreds with machine gunes. Between the violence and language, this film definitely isn’t for everyone. Honestly, if you are looking for this type of film, but want a much better piece, then get “The Kingdom” instead.
