Body of Lies

One of the toughest sells in Hollywood now and for the last couple of years is the subject of the war on terror. Any movie that deals with Americans battling terrorists anywhere in the world has proven to be a financial and critical disappointment. Only last year’s The Kingdom managed to draw much attention and that attention quickly dissipated following its opening weekend. The explanation for this phenomenon is unclear, but perhaps the movie-going public is sick and tired of these wars on terror and has little interest in paying money to watch what they can already see at home on CNN. Or perhaps it is because the movies simply are not very good. Whatever the reason may be, visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott steps into the fray with his latest movie, the spy thriller Body of Lies. The movie has already crashed and burned at the box office, making it another casualty of Hollywood’s own war on terror. Judging by the lowly box office receipts, perhaps Scott should have steered clear of the subject. But his unwise decision aside, this latest take on the familiar material is at least mildly satisfying.

The story follows CIA field agent Roger Ferris (played with fiery intensity and charm by Leonardo DiCaprio) as he attempts to uncover information in the Middle East that will be instrumental in defeating Al Qaeda terrorist cells. Ferris is fiercely independent and very confident in his abilities, but he must answer to his intrusive handler Ed Hoffman (played by a doughy Russell Crowe). Hoffman has long since managed to divorce himself from the emotional aspect of his work and so anyone caught in the crossfire of his missions is of little interest to himself. On the other hand, Ferris is always getting emotionally involved and making promises he cannot keep. Throughout the movie, Ferris and Hoffman are almost at war with each other as much as they are with the terrorists.

The central plot revolves around the pursuit of Al Salim, a mysterious terrorist leader thought to be responsible for several recent bombings in crowded European cities. Of course, Ferris and Hoffman continually butt heads over the issue of how best to find Al Salim and their conflicting strategies cause more bad than good. Eventually, Ferris’s search takes him to Jordan, where he befriends intimidating chief of security Hani Salaam (played with a gentlemanly presence by Mark Strong).

The movie takes plenty of twists and turns along the way and impressive action sequences are littered throughout to enliven the rather dull screenplay. Scott is a master when it comes to executing epic action set pieces and he directs the car chases and explosions and gun battles with his usual flair. But the screenplay (written by Oscar winner William Monahan, who penned the script for The Departed) suffers from the exhausting feeling that we have seen this all before.

There are a few intriguing ideas in the script (such as the notion that terrorists are turning their backs on technology in order to disappear into the crowd and make it difficult for the technologically advanced Americans to find them), but considering the script is based on a 2007 novel by David Ignatius, those particular ideas are most likely a product of the novel and not the script. This is not to say that Monahan’s work is completely awful, but rather that his script is simply mediocre. There are scenes with exciting moments and many dialogue exchanges that ring true, but none of it feels fresh. We are watching the heroes and villains go through the same motions that we have seen so many times before, with the outcomes predictably neat and tidy.

Thankfully, Body of Lies is rescued by the solid performances of its three leading males (DiCaprio, Crowe, Strong). While the script falls flat, the characters are brought to life in exciting ways thanks to the performances of these three men. DiCaprio is not exploring new territory here, but he puts his meaty acting chops to good work with his effective portrayal of a morally driven man fighting an immoral war. Crowe is surprisingly fun in the role of a man who approaches everything in life on his own terms. Considering that Crowe rose to fame and acclaim playing roles of incredible intensity, it is interesting to see him play a role that is so laidback and carefree. Then there is Strong, who brings an old-fashioned presence to the movie playing a man bound by honour. He regards trust as the most important aspect of his work, an attitude that puts him in stark contrast to Crowe's slimy Hoffman character.

Body of Lies is an entirely watchable movie, but it offers little hope for the future of 'war on terror' movies. The most disappointing thing about it is its depressing inability to stir emotions. There is really nothing to love or hate about the movie, only things to somewhat appreciate or mildly dislike. It is as middle of the road as pop entertainment can be nowadays, offering a decent thrill ride that is quickly forgotten. Part of the blame goes to Monahan's script, but some of it must be saved for Scott's direction. While the movie looks gorgeous (thanks to cinematographer Alexander Witt) and certainly benefits from Scott's considerable ability to execute macho action sequences, the Ridley Scott of today is a mere shadow of his former self. He seems stuck in safe territory, afraid (or just too lazy) to utilize all of his gigantic talent. But while Scott has not made a truly great movie in several years, he has at least now made a lightly enjoyable one. He has smartly pulled together an exciting cast and it is for that very reason that the movie is worth seeing. But in the case of the ongoing war on terror, fact is stranger than fiction and Body of Lies fails to recognize that harrowing truth.