Body of Lies

by RICK GRANT
A
Rated R
128 min
This is another masterful collaboration between top-tier director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, American Gangster, Kingdom of Heaven) and Russell Crowe, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the key role. Based on David Ignatius’ novel and adapted to screen by William Monahan, Body Of Lies is a tense spy thriller. The plot pits field agent Roger Ferris against his boss, master manipulator, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe).
The two CIA agents are polar opposites yet have a grudging respect for one another. Ferris is an elite agent who speaks fluid Arabic and was trained as a Delta Force warrior. He dresses as a Mideastern jihadist to gather intelligence on our terrorist enemies. On the other hand, Hoffman is overweight, snide, and lives an upper class suburban life, picking up his kids from school, while giving orders to Farris by cell phone. Farris is risking his life every day while Hoffman manipulates Farris’ missions like a chess match, not always telling Farris the whole truth. Hoffman seems to get perverse delight in pissing off Farris while sending him into harms way.
Ridley Scott skillfully puts the viewer close into the action. Farris often has to shoot his way out of operations gone bad. DiCaprio deftly portrays Farris with intelligent intensity as the story reveals how Al Qaeda quickly adapts to America intelligence.
The terrorist leader knows about our various eyes in the sky like advance reconnaissance satellites and Predator drones. Farris’ Jordanian target is a slippery bastard. He doesn’t use cell phones, and messages are passed by courier verbally. He stays hidden and relies on only a handful of trusted advisors. He has emerged as a major operative in the Al Qaeda organization of independent cells.
When Farris first arrives in Amman Jordan, he meets the head of Jordanian intelligence, Hani, (Mark Strong) who cuts a suave and charismatic persona. Hani demands that he work strictly through him and never lie to him. Hani is a respected intelligence leader with a crack team of agents. Farris tells him he is running this operation but he does need Hani’s help. Hani’s men agree to shadow Farris and protect him while helping him find his target. In this world, Farris has learned to trust no one.
When Farris sustains minor wounds in a desert firefight, he goes to a clinic and meets nurse Aisha (Iranian actress Goldhifteh Farahani) A spark of romance develops between them, but in the strict mores of the Muslim world, he has to take it slow, meet her sister and otherwise be vetted by the family. He tells her he is a political advisor to the king as his official cover. Later in the story his romance with Aisha is used against him. This is why field agents should never get involved with women in the country in which their mission takes place. What the hell, it’s DiCaprio for gosh sake.
Ah yes, Monahan’s script is a well written tome which is dialogue driven with a complicated spy-on-spy scenario that is revealed toward the end of the film. The viewer is engaged in the intrigue and action for the entire running time. From the onset of this mission, Farris knows he is expendable and Hoffman is using him as a pawn in his game. With Hani’s Jordanian intelligence team in play, Farris is caught up in a web of dangerous subplots that could get him killed.
Indeed, this a powerful, nerve-jangling thriller of the highest order. Unlike most action thrillers, it showcases a masterful script and superb acting by the stellar cast. With Ridley Scott at the helm, Leonardo Dicaprio and Russell Crowe playing the lead characters, this movie is film making at its very best.