Body of Lies

    It is a good film. I was just expecting more. Leonardo DiCaprio has developed into a fine actor: able to project extreme intensity in a very convincing manner. Russell Crowe is one of the best and most versatile actors ever. Ridley Scott has directed some of my favorite films (of them these three have made my top 200 list); "Black Hawk Down," "Gladiator" and "Blade Runner." Why isn't this a great film?

    I believe that there are a variety of hypothesizes on this subject, but with limited time and space to discuss this film, my feeling is the subject matter of CIA special ops in the Middle East is such a complex issue, one has a narrow window "to knock this it out of the out of the park." And on this one: Director Scott just busted up the window moulding, real good, as he shot for the opening. William Monahan's screenplay of David Ignatius' novel of the same title offers a cynical depiction of the United States' role in gathering intelligence, and in effecting local avenues of conflict in that theater's War on Terror.

    This story about CIA operative Roger Ferris, played by Dicaprio, and his interaction with his superior and CIA analyst, Ed Hoffman, played by Crowe, is an intricate tale danger and intrigue of who lives, and who dies. The dialogue is good, especially between Dicaprio and Crowe, who play a couple of smart southern boys, who are up to their elbows in manipulating the pawns on the most dangerous of world stages. The difference: Dicaprio as Ferris knows how tough it is on the ground and can find not further honor in his job and Crowe as Hoffman knows the game and that as ugly as it can get, it must be played.

    Like I said, it is a good film: just not a great one. "Traitor," reviewed in this publication, and dealing with similar subject matter, may be the better of the two, but it is a toss up as to one's individual taste. The film is a smidge long at 128 minutes, but I'm going to recommend this one heartily.

    Rated R. Released on DVD February 17, 2009.