CIA Agent, Roger Ferris, is fluent in Arabic with a grasp on the understanding of the culture of the Middle East. Working in the Middle East during the Iraq war he uncovers a lead to a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan and responsible for multiple bombings within Europe. Through the contact of his boss, Ed Hoffman, back in Langley and a partnership with the chief of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Salaam, Ferris heads down a trail to capture the terrorist leader, finding himself in a world where it is difficult to know who to trust.
Based on the book by Washington Post columnist, David Ignatius, Body of Lies is an intense political thriller that starts with a bang; literally. The film begins with a bombing in Europe before introducing Roger Ferris. It is quickly discovered, though, that Ferris is the head of this story, fluent in Arabic and able to blend into the culture of the Middle East. Played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Ferris is a man who knows well how to do his job. His personal life is a wreck as he’s in the process of divorce while attempting to run operations in Amaan, Jordan.
Directed by Ridley Scott, who brought us American Gangster, Black Hawk Down, and most notably Gladiator, Body of Lies never truly lets up. The story picks up quickly, letting up only with enough time to jump back into the action and cause your heart to start racing once again. Corruption and deception saturate this Iraq war story surrounding a lone CIA agent. Who to trust and work with becomes a tough question. It seems evident that the film is a statement against the Iraq war, to a certain extent, and raises a question of how far we should go to capture terrorists.
Body of Lies is intense, at times graphic, and very well acted, not to mention that great cinematography that has also come out in many of his other films. Although two hours, the film moves quickly and to relieve the tension, comic relief is thrown in the middle of the film between Ferris and a Jordanian woman. Although it is perhaps not one of Scott’s best films, it is intriguing, raising some good ethical questions, and moves along nicely. It is a film that uses conventional styles that have been done many times before but in the midst of this Scott seems to get across his vision.
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