Body Of Lies

UK Release Date. 21 November 2008
Certification. 15
Running Time. 2 hours 8 mins
Director. Ridley Scott
Cast. Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Golshifteh Farahani, Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong.
Rating. 64%

Review.

Ridley Scott's Body Of Lies opens with an explosive pre-credits sequence in, of all places, a row of two-storey terrace houses in Manchester. But from Manchester, the film spans the globe; from London to Dubai, Amsterdam to Washington, and Iraq to Jordan.

Following the horrific events of September 11, 2001, there seemed a steady stream of 'War on Terror' films in the resulting decade - the likes of Syrianna, The Kingdom, Traitor and Green Zone. Yet, few filmmakers struck the appropriate balance with subject matter as inflammatory and combustible as the global war on terrorism. Body Of Lies is Ridley Scott's attempt.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Roger Ferris, a CIA operative charged with finding a terrorist cell in Iraq and Russell Crowe plays his cold and calculating superior, Ed Hoffman.

Scott directs with characteristic panache - enthusiastic editing, varied camera speeds and an obvious delight in aerial surveillance shots result in a polished veneer. But as in Kingdom Of Heaven Scott's sophisticated aesthetic merely aims to complement the film's political purpose... heightened tension.

The film does ever-so-slightly stretch the bounds of believability, especially the improbable (and frustratingly limp) final 10 minutes. As a result, Body Of Lies is ultimately underwhelming, failing to impress with either its action or its philosophy. The overly complex intelligence drama will surely leave a strange taste in the mouth of anyone even remotely versed in modern international politics.