Body of Lies

Body of Lies
8.2 of 10
by Mark Earl Yap
Radioactive Culture

I haven't been to the theaters since The Dark Knight. That's almost three months of no new movies for me. So I went out today to watch Body of Lies. The movie was okay, I enjoyed it. But it was a step down from DiCaprio's last movies (The Departed and Blood Diamond). He did act well though, and so did the rest of the cast.

What I like about the film is the realism. This is no James Bond type of spy movie, ladies and gents, because it showcases that spycraft is a grim and an unethical business, where people are using people like dispensable tools. A good example of this is when they [DiCaprio and Crowe] made a fake terrorist group, involving a poor innocent soul in the process, just to lure out Al Salim, a leader of a jihadist group.

The movie is also non-West-centric. Unlike other spy movies, A CIA agent isn't the be all, know all, charismatic persona in this film. Although most of them are arrogant enough to think that they are. Especially Russell Crowe's character. While DiCaprio's character is an intelligent and skilled agent, he's also not the hot shit in here as he had failed numerous times. His paramour is also a local clinic nurse, covered from head to toe with a medical apron, instead of some hot blond girl in a stupendous evening gown or sweat drenched tank top (to my dismay).

All in all, the film is worth watching. It's not that great but it's enjoyable and will kick some serious sense into some viewers. Especially to those who don't know about middle-east politics, or the nature of spycraft beyond Bond films. Though I wouldn't recommend the film if you're Euro-centric cause you'd probably hate it.