Body of Lies

Three or four stars? I can’t decide. Body of Lies is unable to make up its mind whether it wants to be an entertaining film or one with a message. Unfortunately, it fails at both. The entertainment factor shows up only in a few shootout scenes between constant telephone calls and changes in location, while the “edifying” aspect appears here and there delivered by Russel Crowe (as satirical black humour) and Mark Strong. Plotwise it’s nothing remarkable, either, and I can’t avoid the feeling that the film could have easily continued for another half hour after the unforgettable scene of Leonard’s torture (instead of ending quite abruptly), while the first hour could be left out almost completely. Regardless of that, Body of Lies is not bad at all – it’s directed and acted with panache – it simply fails to impress. (2008-12-06)

Though it has a traditional concept and is a more than decently filmed spy thriller, Body of Lies does not have enough of the exotic atmosphere of Spy Game or the high-tech coolness of Enemy of the State to become a hit. It goes straight to the epicenter of the issue of contemporary Islamic terrorism and does so with perfect action scenes. But even though it keeps switching between different locations and the plot moves forward at a decent pace, I still feel like it’s actually stuck in one place. That is probably because everything apart from spy machinations seems both superfluous and half- baked (the attempt to depict the background of Crowe’s character, or DiCaprio’s relationship with the local girl). And it needs a different kind of ending. (2009-01-10)

Less straightforward and more “intel” and “hi-tech” than Kingdom. Some people might like it, others not, but the fact remains that you would hardly guess that this talky spy film was directed by the master of visual and compositional image, Ridley Scott. There are several quality action scenes and sequences where he plays with the contour of colors, but there is nothing extra in this regard. And it is not even reached by the stunning dark contact lenses of Leonardo DiCaprio, who this time did not get as much space as in Blood Diamond and is overshadowed by Russell Crowe and especially the demonic and elegant Mark Strong, probably the most interesting character of the film. Overall, too much talk and too little action for my taste – although very high-quality and impactful. Kingdom is a simpler film and deals with Eastern culture in a very straightforward and simple way, but I liked it more than Body of Lies, which tries to go into depth but does it in a very uninteresting and overly talkative manner. (2009-02-21)

Syriana in a more commercial guise. In comparison, Body of Lies is easier to understand, more accessible to the general public, but at the same time no less relevant, it’s pertinent not dumb at all and the acting is no worse. Ridley again proves anew that he’s getting a third wind in his retirement and hasn’t lost any of his talent. (2008-12-15)

"That is impossible. Because it will mean that you sat in my office and you lied to my face." The clash between the vibrant Arab world and the cold detachment of the systemic West is the most important message of the leftist Scott. Above all the final thought – better to live in a world where evil and therefore its counterpart is clear than in a sterilized system built on hypocrisy. This is nicely illustrated by the final scene, with DiCaprio shopping for oranges in a busy Arab marketplace while Crowe takes the foil off the vacuum-packed cut fruit in an empty airport lounge. Surprisingly, it doesn't jump out of context at all. What's terribly gratifying is the unsaid, which sometimes keeps the conflicts from even hitting fertile ground (a code of honor that DiCaprio is somehow unable to uphold throughout the film), but of course that's not the film's problem, it's the viewer's. The only downside I see is the script, which seemed to me to be perhaps gradating in reverse, and in general the final deus ex machina in the last moment is such a libation to film history... Nevertheless, Scott succeeds again in full. (2011-06-22)