"Body of Lies" Movie Review

"Body of Lies" movie poster.

"Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a CIA operative in the Middle East; Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) is his control at Langley. Cynicism is everywhere. In Amman, Roger works with Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), Jordan's head of security, whose only dictum is "Don't lie to me." The Americans are in pursuit of a cleric, Al-Saleem, (Alon Aboutboul) who leads a group placing bombs all over Europe. When Hani rebukes Ed's demand that Jordan allow the Americans to use one of Jordan's double agents, Roger and Ed hatch a plan to bring the cleric to them. The plan involves implicating an innocent Dubai-based architect named Omar Sadiki (Ali Suliman) as a rival terrorist, but the plan is complicated by its being a secret from Hani and by Roger's attraction to a local nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani). Satellites and cell phones, bodies and lies: modern warfare." Written by jhailey@hotmail.com

(Link below.)

A Ridley Scott film of 2008 with screenplay by William Monahan, based on the book of the same title by David Ignatius. It is kind of a cut and dry story as far as CIA operative spy thriller movies are concerned. But it is enjoyable and has a political message that still has relevance to today's society.

Script can be downloaded here:
http://www.screenplaydb.com/film/scripts/bodyoflies20070921/.

Mark Strong.

The cast also consisted of Oscar Isaac and Simon McBurney. Nobody's acting was particularly strong, but everyone was very good as their characters. Mark Strong was sultry and sexy as Hani Salaam. I felt so bad for Omar Sadiki - poor bastard.

*SPOILER ALERT* I'm still a little confused about the ending, what did Hani tell Aisha that would make it hard for Ferris to earn her love? And is Ferris fired?

Golshifteh Farahani.

I'm going to read the book in the hopes that it clears most of this up. But I have heard that the movie is actually better than the book and it doesn't have all of the same characters. I have also heard that the book has a kick-ass ending though, so hoping for the best. (Book review here.)

Favorite Lines:

[first lines] 

Title Card: I and the public know what all schoolchildren learn, those to whom evil is done, do evil in return. - W.H. Auden

Roger Ferris: [having cell phone conversation] You know what? I've had it. I've had it. I can't do this anymore.

Ed Hoffman: Yes, you can. Now, you just get yourself a couple of hours' sleep. And you call me when you're thinking straight. 

Roger Ferris: You know what? I am thinking straight. You're not, all right? You can't, because you're a million fucking miles away. I'm here, Ed, every day. And I see the unnecessary travesties of this war... that the rest of you backstabbing political fucking bureaucrats... only look at pictures of. So don't you dare tell me I am not thinking straight! This is not working, all right? It's not working, I'm out. 

Ed Hoffman: Ferris? Ferris? 

[phone disconnects] 

Ed Hoffman: I should pack.

Russell Crowe (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Hani: And so we throw him back into the sea to swim where he naturally swims, to learn what he naturally learns. We'll see how long he remembers my benevolence. 

Roger Ferris: What if he forgets? 

Hani: If he forgets, I remind him that I have the power of life and death over him. Because you see, any time I wish, I can let them know he works for me.

Roger Ferris: I thought you didn't believe in torture, Hani Pasha. 

Hani: This is punishment, my dear. It's a very different thing. 

Mark Strong (L) and Leonardo DiCaprio.

[Nizar refuses to come to them and Bassam has to leave the car to fetch him] 

Bassam: Hey hey, listen to me. I'm not getting my head cut off on the Internet, alright? No. If something happens, shoot me. Will you shoot me? 

Roger Ferris: Fuck that shit, I will shoot you right now. 

Bassam: I'm not kidding. 

Roger Ferris: Quit being a pussy.

Garland: ...and a list of emails for the Brothers of Awareness. 

Roger Ferris: The Brothers of who the fuck?

Ed Hoffman: Nobody's innocent in this shit.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/plotsummary.