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Roger Ferris uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Roger Ferris
Well Director Ridley Scott tackles the issue of the old Middle East Terrorism and also a look at how intelligence agencies and their respective Agents act. Body Of Lies has been unfairly attacked by critics on the basis that other films have done the same thing and executed the same problem. These attacks are unjust and unfair mainly because alot of Horror & Romantic films always emulate the same recurring aspects for example some not coming under scrutiny. Some of the other films which have addressed Middle East, Terrorism, and Counter measures and Agencies attempting to thwart the former, are in my memory...Rendition, Syriana(Also starring the wondrously talented Actor Mark Strong),The Kingdom, Three Kings, all films set in the middle East that add to this specific genre, this battle with terror and religious fanaticism yet also a stab at the mistakes and moral leanings of Western Powers and the murky cloudiness of diluted intelligence twisted round.
Body Of Lies should be considered to be among these interesting looks at the Eastern situation or war on terror, whatever you prefer to view the state of going ons.
''You Americans are incapable of secrets because of your democracy.''
Interestingly enough Body Of Lies begins with an imminent explosion in Manchester UK with some Terrorists loyal to Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul). This sets the ball rolling and at the same time keeps us the audience glued and straining to keep up with the intense intelligent dialogue which educates as well as entertains us.
Before the main titans appear on screen we know Ridley Scott has all the strings to pull and cards up his sleeves to reveal. So when Leonardo comes on screen with his unshaven appearance and brown contacts in, we can fully believe he is an Agent undercover doing his hard pressed job, he knows disguises, can speak fluent Arabic. Roger Ferris is made into a fully three dimensional character by Leonardo DiCaprio.
My other fascination among many, was Russel Crowe as Ed Hoffman, who really shows his age with his plump aged self. I mean this is the man that was the young heroic actor of Gladiator, or the determined protagonist of the recent American Gangster. Here we have a family man, fat Crowe playing a US Operative who's only interested in his own loyalties and affiliations to his government.
What I really loved in this is that he is always doing his work 90% of the time, in phone conversations with Ferris while he is at home with the wife and kids, or watching his daughter's soccer game, even helping his son brush his teeth and pee. This is a man, this Hoffman is detached yet enveloped in the proceedings but from afar, its a genius scenario that really shows what it must be like in the field. Succeeding in being a book adaptation and also a realistic venture of sorts, showing a situation that needs to be addressed.
Mark Strong as Hani really was one of the favourite scorchingly talented inspirations I came out with, with Body Of Lies. He's just a treasure to watch every second, his screen-time has a resonance about it that stays memorable. British Actor plays Hani, the Jordan Ally of Ferris with finesse and believability, coming across with a charismatic aura that had me smiling. Whether it be RocknRolla or the fun Star Dust, Mark Strong always makes the film that little bit sweeter merely with his esteemed presence.
''This is unusual. Your Ed Hoffman would rather have less information than share what he has with me.''
A certain romantic aspect is explored with Golshifteh Farahani playing Aisha, a romance that blossoms out of a chance meeting between Aisha & Ferris at a clinic. This relationship they share, informatively helps us see also the lack of freedom women have in the Middle Eastern world. As Ferris and Aisha share a drink outside a coffee establishment notice how the men sneer and look down at them, even the old man serving them, seems to disagree with their shared presence.
Another scene in which they talk, after Ferris meets her sister for approval and her two boys, the talk outside ends with Ferris going to shake her hand. Then we notice everyone above including her sister is watching, disapproving. For this is how it is in their world. It's frozen in time, bound to tradition, when it changes, ironically only God knows that answer, and I can say it wont change anytime soon.
So the film's screenplay by William Monahan & David Ignatius who wrote the Novel, seem to have given Ridley Scott the material and story necessary for a great piece of educational entertainment and a dazzling array of characters.
Interestingly enough for the beginning, I discovered that the Manchester scenes (filmed on actual streets in the USA), any overly "American" curbside items (like certain fire hydrants) were hidden by dropping bottom-less slatted metal trash cans over them and then adding prop "English" rubbish; however, extras and crew unaware of this subtle artful touch continuously filled the apparently-normal-looking receptacles with their own trash. Between filming sessions, rueful set dressers would have to remove a foot-high layer of discarded plastic water bottles (and then reset and fluff the "official" rubbish).
Roger Ferris: I can't do this anymore.
Ed Hoffman: Yes you can. Now you go home, get a few hours sleep and you call me when you're thinking straight.
Roger Ferris: Your know what, I AM thinking straight, alright, you're not, you can't 'cause you're a million fuckin' miles away.
Body Of Lies maintains a class and favourable conclusion for me and a great example of how sometimes the critics can be wrong on films, on books or on music. End of the day, it's something that I've always said after missing out on some impressive films critics have slated, and because I've been dissuaded from seeing it from what I've read. I learnt a long time ago that it's sometimes best to make up your own mind and come to your own conclusions. To conclude Body Of Lies is a web of deceit and characters who all end up lying to themselves as well as each other. The heroes all seem to be after the same fanatic nemesis, yet they don't trust each other. Would of liked more emphasis on the romance side of things, but the ending leaves things pretty much to the viewers respective imaginations, which I liked. Musically, visually, I was engrossed by this tense thriller and also woken up to aspects of ideology to religion to trust. All important, all up for discussion and to be thought upon. Body Of lies ironically succeeds in portraying alot of truth to our Modern present, now let's do something for the future.
8/10
