In Ridley Scott's Middle Eastern thriller, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Roger Ferris, a top CIA agent working undercover in the world's most dangerous region. A man whose cynical and idealistic impulses sometimes collide, Ferris is frequently at odds with his bottom-line-oriented stateside supervisor Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe, who reportedly gained 50 pounds to be a more convincing desk jockey). Ordered to flush a top Islamic terrorist (Alon Aboutboul) out of his rabbit hole, Ferris stages a fake bombing of an American target and frames an innocent Saudi architect for the attack, hoping to attract the terrorist's attention. Unfortunately, this risky plan forces Ferris to deceive the one man whose cooperation he desperately needs: the kingdom of Jordan's iron-willed intelligence chief (Mark Strong). William Monahan's uneven script, adapted from the novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, serves up several dynamic action set pieces and a harrowing torture sequence, but the film ultimately offers nothing—neither stylistically nor substantively—that we haven't seen before (in films such as Syriana). And despite affecting a straggly mustache and scruffy beard, DiCaprio is simply too boyish to be convincing as a seasoned operative. A superficially entertaining potboiler that could have been much better, this is an optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include (on the Blu-ray release only; the DVD is extra-less) audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, screenwriter William Monahan, and novelist David Ignatius, an “Actionable Intelligence: Deconstructing Body of Lies” picture-in-picture track including key sequences, on-set footage, and cast and crew interviews (80 min. total), “Interactive Debriefing” segments featuring interviews with Scott and costars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe (19 min.), 15 minutes of deleted scenes, the BD Live function, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray extras package for an ultimately insubstantial thriller.] (E. Hulse)
Body of Lies
Warner, 128 min., R, DVD: $28.99, <span class=SpellE>Blu</span>-ray: $35.99, Feb. 17 Volume 24, Issue 2
Body of Lies
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