Movie Review: Body of Lies
I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this film initially: action, terrorism...My brain was terrified, with my lack of knowledge on the issues :p Based on the book by David Ignatius? *shudder* So I beefed up & entered the theater: to my surprise it was the best film of the 3 that I watched yesterday :)
The Plot
Roger Ferris is a CIA agent stationed in the Middle East. He receives orders from Ed Hoffman, his superior, on carrying out his tasks on their mission to find Al-Saleem, a Muslim terrorist responsible for several terrorist attacks. The challenge lies in detecting Al-Saleem; the terrorist operates almost only on human interaction, ie written notes or face-to-face meetings. How would the US catch this man despite having advanced satellite technology & Internet prowess when the man barely uses neither?
Ferris goes to Amman & enlists the help of Hani Salaam, the Chief of Jordanian Intelligence, to track down Al-Saleem. The movie focuses on the doubts Ferris has: can he trust Hani? Is Hoffman holding back information from him? When Ferris weaves a set-up to capture Al-Saleem, he plays dangerously on both sides & when things go wrong, he is captured & learns that human interaction can go a long way to save him.
The Cast
I've always thought that Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor, after watching some of his films like Titanic & Catch Me If You Can. His performance was brilliant in this film; his Arabic sounded correct IMO, & his acting was amazing. You can tell when the character is in turmoil, under pressure, working fast to subdue the situation etc. Awesome, seriously. Russell Crowe was good; man I hated his character, the arrogance & stubbornness is eminent &, I think, an important aspect of his character. Mark Strong is perfect as Hani; he exudes confidence, elegance & pride in his work.
The Music
Composed by Mark Streitenfield, the music is edgy, gripping, complimenting the film perfectly. At least that's what I thought when I get chills during certain parts of the film.
Conclusion
A good, realistic film, Ridley Scott doest a great job to show the horror behind terrorism & the tough work that people do undercover to unveil the evil & save the world. It was packed with suspense, action, drama & a good use of over 2 hrs :)
The Plot
Roger Ferris is a CIA agent stationed in the Middle East. He receives orders from Ed Hoffman, his superior, on carrying out his tasks on their mission to find Al-Saleem, a Muslim terrorist responsible for several terrorist attacks. The challenge lies in detecting Al-Saleem; the terrorist operates almost only on human interaction, ie written notes or face-to-face meetings. How would the US catch this man despite having advanced satellite technology & Internet prowess when the man barely uses neither?
The Cast
I've always thought that Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor, after watching some of his films like Titanic & Catch Me If You Can. His performance was brilliant in this film; his Arabic sounded correct IMO, & his acting was amazing. You can tell when the character is in turmoil, under pressure, working fast to subdue the situation etc. Awesome, seriously. Russell Crowe was good; man I hated his character, the arrogance & stubbornness is eminent &, I think, an important aspect of his character. Mark Strong is perfect as Hani; he exudes confidence, elegance & pride in his work.
Composed by Mark Streitenfield, the music is edgy, gripping, complimenting the film perfectly. At least that's what I thought when I get chills during certain parts of the film.
Conclusion
A good, realistic film, Ridley Scott doest a great job to show the horror behind terrorism & the tough work that people do undercover to unveil the evil & save the world. It was packed with suspense, action, drama & a good use of over 2 hrs :)
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