Body Of Lies
Director: Ridley Scott
Rated: MA
Now screening



The Cold War's end heralded a change in traditional espionage thrillers. Moving away from shadowy Russian agents, authors turned their attention to Middle Eastern events which offered a well of deceptive bounty. Adding nuance to the adage 'in every spy lurks a great actor' 'Body Of Lies' protagonists become caught in double-crosses of their own design. An intense drama and action maestro, director Ridley Scott delivers an interesting investigation into personal and professional conflicts.

CIA operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an expert in tracing terrorists. Based in the Middle East, he obtains his commands from results driven boss Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe). Ordered to track down a leading terrorist in Jordan, Ferris forms an uneasy alliance with its intelligence chief Hani Salaam (Mark Strong). Interwoven with a romance with a local nurse, Ferris' life becomes an entanglement of lies where his true enemies may be the ones closest to him.

After a long period filled with mediocre films, this decade has seen a re-birth in Scott's output. Returning to the brass tacks gritty stories for which he became known, his assured direction here serves him well. Although the recent wave of Mid-East set films may perhaps steal his thunder somewhat, his style adds freshness to the familiar tale. Evidence of this is shown with the Ferris romantic sub-plot which neatly increases the conflicted nature of his work. Well mixed is Hoffman's ongoing interference and cold-heartedness which adds another hurdle the spy has to face to reach his goal.

Shot with an 'in your face' panoramic dirtiness, 'Body Of Lies' ensures the viewer remains mostly gripped despite its occasionally meandering screenplay. DiCaprio and Crowe give fine performances, conveying a central truth to their roles enabling events to feel realistic. Crowe equips himself well with his culturally ignorant tactician meting out orders to DiCaprio's determined foot soldier. The action scenes are well staged with the constant game of brinkmanship keeping momentum bubbling along.

'Body Of Lies' is an engaging addition to the new era of spy movies. Whilst the story isn't particularly original its fresh feel comes from focussed direction and good casting. The Cold War may be a memory, but this film shows that the art of lies and spying never goes out of fashion.

Patrick Moore