body of lies

Body of Lies should be great. Ridley Scott is at the helm, and both Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe are at his disposal. It should be spectacular by all means, but it's not. Instead of delivering a Gladiator-quality movie about CIA counterterrorism, Scott misses the mark with something akin to A Good Year.

Based on the novel by David Ignatius, the film follows the efforts of Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) and his superior Ed Hoffman (Crowe) to catch Jordanian terrorist Al-Saleem. While Ferris works on the ground in many countries to counteract terrorism, Hoffman calls the shots from the comfort of his home. Ferris seems to be the more dangerous of the two, but it soon becomes clear that Hoffman is actually the man to watch out for. Crowe's phlegmatic portrayal is successful at least in conveying Hoffman's dangerous undertones.

DiCaprio's character conveys a sense of amateurism that stems more from the actor's youthful looks than his performance. Most of the movie, DiCaprio plays the same high-strung character he did in The Departed and Blood Diamond. There is nothing new or special here.

It is actually British actor Mark Strong who offers the best performance. His turn as the head of Jordanian intelligence overshadows both Crowe and DiCaprio. Strong's subtlety in conveying his character's cunning and machinations is far more effective than the higher-paid stars who both overact their roles in this regard.

Body of Lies as a whole is successful in building tension. But every time this tension approaches any sort of a peak, Scott just throws it away through shifts in location and points-of-view. Rather than leaving cliffhangers, these transitions leave the audience confused or worse-bored. For all the hype surrounding it, Body of Lies is too anticlimactic to warrant attention.