AP
Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio play CIA operatives on the hunt for the world’s most dangerous terrorist in “Body of Lies.”
Director Ridley Scott’s new film “Body of Lies,” sends the audience to the Middle East, but they come back dissatisfied.
For more than two hours, the main characters shuffle around the screen never accomplishing anything. There are intense shooting sequences and flashy explosions, but none of it matters in a post-9/11 thriller where the characters aren’t given any more depth than a baby pool.
Centered in Amman, Jordan, the film tells the story of two CIA operatives played by Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, who attempt to capture the world’s most dangerous terrorist.
To accomplish this task, DiCaprio makes an uneasy alliance with the head of Jordan’s covert-ops leader, Hani, played by Mark Strong. Through a series of plot twists and double-crosses, the story slowly unfolds, revealing nothing surprising.
Even though Ridley bounces back and forth between Amman and Washington, and is briefly set in Europe, it feels like the film never leaves Jordan. When the plot moves away from Jordan, Scott uses the same type of shots. Even when traveling to Amsterdam and London it doesn’t feel any different than the Middle East. Variety could go a long way in a film that gets lost in its plot.
To distract the audience from the mediocre story, Scott relies on his two leading men to carry the movie. And although Crowe offers a unique role as a sweet-talking, ruthless, overweight CIA operative, DiCaprio disappointingly fails to achieve the quality of acting he’s known for; instead relying on a mixture of previous roles. He noticeably draws on characters from “Blood Diamond,” “Aviator” and “The Departed.” DiCaprio has never been known for recycling his roles, which makes this performance all the more underwhelming.
Romantic asides have no place in CIA movies that trek through the Middle East, but DiCaprio manages to fall in love with an Iranian nurse, played by Golshiftteh Farahani. Scott tries to develop the romance, but by the time it could have any meaning, it is wholly unbelievable. In a film that tries desperately to be realistic, the romance only drains its believability.
Among all the lackluster performances, Mark Strong, as Hani, rises above the rest. DiCaprio and Crowe are used to commanding the screen; whenever the camera is on them, they demand attention. However, Strong enters the room and upstages both Crowe and DiCaprio. His role as the hard-nosed Jordanian security chief helps carry a movie filled with mediocrity.
A good movie makes the audience care for the characters’ and want them to reach their goals. This movie does not, and it settles for cliché.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to completely dismiss “Body of Lies.” The film contains some interesting cinematography and enough action to satisfy a popcorn movie audience, but the film is precariously caught between the two release periods of a serious award contender and a summer blockbuster.
Perhaps that’s why it was released in October – Scott plays well into the themes of surveillance and family, but neither the director nor the actors put their full effort into the film.
There are going to be better movies this fall, but there are bound to be worse. “Body of Lies” didn’t impress as much as the track record of the directors and actors would suggest, but the film was still entertaining, even if it is a great opportunity lost.
Adam Bianco can be reached at [email protected].
