IMDb plot summary: A CIA agent on the ground in Jordan hunts down a powerful terrorist leader while being caught between the unclear intentions of his American supervisors and Jordan Intelligence.
Directed by Ridley Scott. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Mark Strong.
Body of Lies is a military action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a CIA agent in Jordan trying to root out a terrorist in hiding, and Russell Crowe as his boss giving him orders from back home in the US. I’ll be honest, though, this is one of those films where I had to use Wikipedia to remind me of the plot because it stuck so little in my head. I remember disguises and people constantly being double-crossed and some unpleasant torture scenes, but not any aspect of how the plot came together. The one piece I do remember was Crowe as the head honcho back in the States, who is frequently seen having brutal conversations over the phone with DiCaprio as he is, for example, shuttling his kids to school or helping with homework. Seeing him making “the tough decisions” while being living cozily in his suburban life, fully shielded from any of the psychological stress of those in the field, is harrowing. However, that’s the only piece of this film that really stands out. Most of it feels exactly like most military action thrillers of this part of the decade, and I’ve already seen enough of those to be bored of them. Some good, a lot of bland.
How it entered my Flickchart:
🎥 Body of Lies (2008)
📊 Ranked #2532/4050 on my Flickchart
🎯 Flickscore™: 37
lost to Spider Baby (#2021 → #2011)
beat The Number 23 (#3034 → #3037)
lost to Genius (#2527 → #2523)
lost to Come to the Stable (#2779 → #2612)
lost to Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (#2905 → #2533)
beat Hiroshima Mon Amour (#2968 → #2972)
beat The Double Life of Véronique (#2936 → #2939)
beat Incredibles 2 (#2920 → #2924)
lost to The Night of the Hunter (#2912 → #2891)
lost to Carol (#2916 → #2459)
beat The War (#2918 → #2922)
beat Sixteen Candles (#2917 → #2931)
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