Sierra Mountain Times

Undercover Work

Leonardo DiCaprio ready to take aim in Body of Lies.

Body of Lies (Rated R) 128 mins.

The last time Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe teamed up in a film was 1995’s The Quick and the Dead. In case you do not remember, have no worries, you did not miss much. While Crowe and DiCaprio held their own, they both had rather small roles as they were both still trying to make their mark in Hollywood. Thinking back, who would have guessed that today they are two of the biggest actors in the world, and two of the best? In fact, many would argue that they are the best (personally, I rank Crowe first, Christian Bale second, and DiCaprio third), and one would be hard-pressed to argue when looking over each actor’s cinematic achievements the past few years. These are men who know how to act, fill theater seats, and win Oscars (both have starred in multiple Best Picture winners, have been nominated multiple times, and have both won their own award), a Triple Crown few actors in history have ever been able to achieve. Therefore, when it was announced that decorated director Ridley Scott’s (American Gangster, Gladiator) new film Body of Lies had reunited this acting dream team, you can bet everyone took notice. As well they should.

Based on the 2007 novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, Body of Lies takes its viewer deep into the heart of the War on Terror as it is currently being waged by our own intelligence community. Dicaprio takes on the role of Roger Ferris, a CIA ground agent in the Middle East. He answers to one man and one man alone, and that is Crowe as spymaster Ed Hoffman. Overweight (Crowe added 50 pounds for the role) and arrogant to  fault, Hoffman is the man with all the answers except one; how to play by another’s rules, even when it is paramount for achieving victory. It is he who dispatches Ferris to Jordan in order to catch the scent of current number one threat Al-Saleem, the man behind a growing number of bombings across Europe. This particular mission is one where the best is needed, and Ferris is certainly that, a fact that Hoffman readily acknowledges verbally. However, Hoffman is not one to be overlooked, and he often undermines his “little buddy” Ferris when it comes to making the big moves. It is Hoffman’s arrogance which all too often makes Ferris’ job a much tougher one, and in his venture to stop Al-Saleem Ferris finds himself also in a battle of wills with Hoffman, mostly from thousands of miles away. Ultimately Ferris’ success depends upon playing by rules different than those Hoffman swears by, and whether or not he can get his mentor and point man out of his way.

While Body of Lies does not always feel original, it never bores. It helps that the cast is excellent, including an exceptional Mark Strong (Syriana, Stardust) as Hani Salaam, the head of Jordanian intelligence and Ferris’ main aid. Also, Crowe and DiCaprio are at the top of their games here. DiCaprio’s Ferris is a man without a life of his own, one who lives only for the next mission. It is this detachment that allows him to dive headfirst into his job, making him the best at what he does. This is a fact that Crowe’s Hoffman encourages, pushing him ahead every time Ferris begins to show some humanity. Speaking of Hoffman, Crowe perfectly embodies the egotistical brainiac with the southern accent. Ruthless when playing wargames, he is all but when at home with his suburban family. Crowe embodies the man’s duplicity perfectly behind a buddy-buddy swagger that has no qualms about ordering hits over the phone when guiding his child gently to the bathroom. While DiCaprio is solid as ever, it is Crowe’s ability to become Hoffman that is the real gem of the film.

When it comes down to it, Body of Lies thrills, excites, and is the rare thriller not brought down by terrible performances. Unfortunately, outside of the interactions between DiCaprio and Crowe, there is little depth to the film, and while we are treated to two A-listers doing what they do best, we find we do not care about their characters as much as we should in the end. It is as good a spy thriller as has been in a long time, but like most others, Lies still never finds much of a heartbeat.

SCORE: 3.5/5