Director Ridley Scott (BLADE RUNNER, ALIEN) returns to BLACK HAWK DOWN (to me, his best film) territory with the action suspense BODY OF LIES based on the novel by Washington Post’s David Ignatius.  The story revolves around two men with a clash of cultures.  One is CIA operative, Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) doing a fine but dirty job in the Middle-East and the other, his cunning but experienced boss, Ed Horrman (Russell Crowe) working at home in the U.S.

Action and suspense alternate side to side as Ferris uncovers a major terrorist lead with the aid of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong).

William Monahan’s script of insiders and betrayers within a secret organizational feels similar to that of THE DEPARTED and with good reason.  Monahan also wrote the script for THE DEPARTED.  Both (scripts) share a blend of suspense and action.  But the thinner plot of BODY OF LIES allows Monahan more play which unfortunately results in a film that tends to be more complicated than necessary.  Like THE DEAPRTED, the romantic interest is kept to a minimum and effectively enough to give the protagonist the human element of feeling.  Scott’s film works best whenever Crowe appears on screen – his character contrasting bureaucracy with practicality, obviously saying a few things about what is happening currently with the Bush Middle-East situation.

DiCaprio plays the brutal complex Ferris like a madman focused on what he has to do to get the job done right.  But it is Crowe that delivers the performance (his best since THE WHISTLE BLOWER) of a lifetime.  His character of the overweight dedicated CIA supervisor with the wicked sense of humour is American arrogance personified. 

Scott’s BODY OF LIES is overlong and overdone (especially in the action, blood and gore scenes and pyrotechnics).  The explosions, like the one at the film’s start shown in all its spectacle from an overhead shot is larger than expected from a terrorist wanting to protect himself.  Ferris’ bloodied smashed fingers need not be shown in the punishment scene.  His screaming is sufficient to drive the point home. 

Production values are top notch, including the music that has a Middle-Eastern slant during the relevant scenes.

But the film will be remembered by the stand-out performance of both its leads Crowe and DiCaprio.  But by not much else as BODY OF LIES is a high paced actioner that leads nowhere fast.