Friday, March 6, 2009

Body of Lies - DVD Review

BODY OF LIES (**) - Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Mark Strong.
Directed by Ridley Scott.

There are directorial flourishes Scott will enjoy that I tend to enjoy, but I was surprised by the flatness of this movie. It's reduced the war in Iraq to a dull cliche, with agents and double-agents talking conspiracies and politics and Islam without ever emotionally engaging the viewer. The main thing I learned from it is that Leo DiCaprio still looks too young to convincingly sport facial hair.

Russell Crowe, who's acted as Scott's muse is past movies, goes through the motions with a lazy Southern accent as the bureaucrat we know will eventually give Leo, earnest field agent, the shaft.

Buildings will be blown up, poor folks will be collateral damage, at least two people will be tortured (while Qu'ran verses are recited), and everyone wearing a tie is a liar. There's your movie.

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