Body of Lies

Over the weekend I watched Ridley Scott's Body of Lies. I didn't go into the movie knowing much but since it was the legendary Ridley Scott, I already knew it would be good.

This gritty movie follows Roger Ferris, played by Leonardo Decaprio, and Ed Hoffman, played by Russel Crowe. Ferris is a CIA operative in the Middle East and Hoffman is his eye in the sky, the man trying to run the show. They both are on the pursuit of a terrorist leader who is bombing several locations all over Europe and Ferris is joining forces with the Jordan head of security Hani Salaam, played by Mark Strong, in order to use their resources for this extremely dangerous task.

This film was very intelligent and the plot is filled with so much content. I love the tension that is created bewteen Dicaprio and everyone around him. The performances of Dicaprio, Crowe, and Strong are absolutely incredible, the casting is awesome. Dicaprio and Crowe play especially well off each other, theres even a little tension developed in some of their conversations.

One of the reasons all of the relationships have that tense factor is the lack of trust everyone has towards each other, even in the worst of times. Every character has their secrets and it makes the viewer stay on their toes. The circumstances reveal more and more but its very hard to know if the facts really are the facts.

One of my favorite things about this film was the different view Agent Ferris and Hoffman had on warfare. Sure they are fighting for the same thing but Ferris is all by himself in a game that is constantly changing and Hoffman is sitting at home, only involved in conflict through a cell phone and a helicopter feeding him footage while he also plays family man in good ol' America. Hoffman can give Ferris all the orders he wants but he will never understand those orders the same way Ferris does, and vice versa.

If you ever find yourself in the mood for a great spy thriller, consider Body of Lies. This film is a great addition to the genre and it contains quite a few thought-provoking ideas. Ridley Scott has directed yet another great movie.