Body of Lies

     Last night I had the privilege of seeing Body of Lies pre-release. At first I was skeptical because for one I’m sick of all the movies now having something to do with the Middle East and/or the war in Iraq, and for two I just plain don’t like Russel Crowe. Within the first five minutes I was hooked, completely enthralled in the highly realistic action. DiCaprio is a CIA operative named Roger Ferris who’s trying to hunt down a top level terrorist who has recently begun a string of bombings in Europe. Crowe plays Ed Hoffman, the all seeing superior agent who spends most of his time controlling the operation from the comfort of his home. For others who dislike Russel Crowe, he plays a major prick. For those of you who love the man, he shines as an actor in this film.
 
Reasons why I loved this movie:
1. Acting was top notch. Every character fit into his role so well you couldn’t see him being anyone else, making you feel like all this is really happening.(well, that is if you’re like me and throw yourself into the movie like I do)

2. DiCaprio is in practically every single scene. You’re along for the same ride of secrets and twists as agent Ferris. His knowledge is your knowledge, his feelings become yours, and that’s all you get. You have no opportunity to identify with any of the other characters.

3. Comic relif. There are enough opportunities for a little chuckle throughout the film to keep it from being so serious that you get bored with it, yet these slight amusements don’t completely ruin the tension.

4. The twists aren’t so confuing that you’re left wondering what’s going on. They’re really not even twists, they’re just little unknown pieces of knowledge that could’ve made things a lot easier on everyone.

5. How the aforementioned reasons all make the film incredibly realistic. DiCaprio IS Ferris, Crowe IS Hoffman, and the same goes for the rest of the cast. The amount of one-on-one time you get with Ferris makes you feel like you’re right there and in every scene you’re fearful that he won’t make it out alive. No one is 100% serious ALL the time, a sense of humor in an intense situation is a must have if you’re going to stay calm. And finally, there’s always stuff going on around you that you don’t know about, and Body of Lies gives you just the right amount. No overdoing it like the Oceans movies or those kooky magician movies that came out a few years back.

All in all I’d have to give Body of Lies an “A”. Sucks you in and doesn’t let go…even when it’s time to go.