Body of Lies is Captivating and Intense

Ridley Scott is back at it again after his last success with American Gangster. Ridley Scott has been my favorite director/producer for some time now. He hasn't let me down so far.

As my expectations were very high, I was not disappointed. The screenplay hooks you in from the beginning. The action is fierce and fast paced as you travel along on a ground operation by the C.I.A. DiCaprio plays the ground agent while Russell Crowe plays the very distant office agent who makes the calls. The both have authority in their own right, but Russell is higher ranking and uses his position to get what he wants. There is even some comedy while Crowe tries to balance his career with kids and a wife. Not very practical as one would already guess.

The setting takes place all over the middle east and you really get a feel for the culture and tense atmosphere. The film does a great job not preaching on whether Americans should be there or not. It just calls it like it sees it. DiCaprio's character does a good job getting the point across to why it so hard for a distant figure to understand the ground situation. He puts his life on the line while Crowe is thousands of miles away.

Who can you trust when your a white American in a middle eastern setting? This film depicts how you have to blend in as an agent and never let your guard down for a second. DiCaprio has to grow out his beard and look a lot scruffier to not stick out like a sore thumb. His Arabic is actually very convincing unlike his Australian accent in Blood Diamond.

The interaction between Crowe and DiCaprio is as good as actor chemistry gets. They play off each other like Riggs and Murtah (Lethal Weapon) but with more hate. There is a hate there, but because of the dialogue it is almost a banter or playful kind of speech. The way some coworkers have, but life is on the line. So a bit more intense.

This is definitely a movie you must see in the theaters. There is plenty of awesome special effects and big time action sequences. You will want the surround sound, silver screen, and some popcorn or candy. The story, dialogue, acting, directing are all near perfect. The only flaw I can find is you want the movie to last a little longer.