"Body of Lies" Movie Review

This week we watched the new spy thriller Body of Lies (R). Ridley Scott directs Leonardo DiCaprio as a CIA operative taking on terrorist cells across the middle east while constantly in contact with his boss in Langley (Russel Crowe).

Andy: Body of Lies is a standard spy flick that happens to deal with scenarios that seem frighteningly real. That level of reality agitates more than it educates, but if you look at this as simply an espionage film, it works fairly well. It has all the standard intrigue and action that you’d expect out of a movie like this. It is largely uninventive and predictable, but it still holds together pretty well.

Ryan: Contemporary spy thrillers continue to underperform and Body of Lies is no exception. While the movie itself is actually more entertaining that I expected it to be, it still lacks that something extra (and compelling) that prevents it from rising above its peers. Looking at it as purely a piece of entertainment, Body of Lies succeeds but it falters when it tries to make sense of current American intrigue in the Middle East.

Andy: Not surprisingly, both Crowe and DiCaprio do an outstanding job. Crowe is doing his pompous-guy-in-charge routine that, while nothing new, is still a solid piece of acting. DiCaprio proves once again that he is not only a very talented actor, but that he can be an action star, too, if he needs to be.

Ryan: There’s no question that the combination of Crowe and DiCaprio makes Body of Lies worth watching. Although neither one is at the very top of their game, they both put forth—as Andy alluded too--very credible performances. Seeing them interact on screen is a cinematic delight and certainly adds to the watchability of the picture. They share several scenes together but it would have been nice to see them share more screen time together.

Andy: Body of Lies is entertaining, but it would not be unreasonable to expect more out of such a talented group of people. The movie runs a little long and has a couple of false conclusions that left me with a worse taste for the film that it probably deserves. For about an hour and forty minutes it is a fairly compelling thriller, but the end is not particularly exciting and the movie is a little worse off because of it.

Ryan: I completely agree with Andy that considering the involvement of Crowe and DiCaprio with director, Ridley Scott, Body of Lies had the making of a great film. Unfortunately it has several shortcomings that limit it. The film runs long and what exacerbates that is how the story intermediately jumps around. Secondly the romantic sub-plot, while crucial to the story, is never completely developed to justify the actions of some of the main characters. Thirdly, the resolution of the film is not only less than thrilling but also predictable.

Anchored by the performances of Crowe and DiCaprio, Body of Lies is a serviceable spy thriller. Final grade: B-.