‘Body of Lies’ | 3 stars
‘Body of Lies’ ★★★Rated R | Run time: 2:05
The first and only law of espionage — at least according to Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” — is the end justifies the means.
That’s the position of Ed Hoffman, head of the CIA’s Near East Division.
The despicable Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe with grayed-up hair and an additional 30 pounds of jowl and gut, is a loquacious good ol’ boy whose worldview centers exclusively on promoting the interests of Uncle Sam. His domestic life is that of a suburban husband and father, but in his working hours he’ll lie, betray, foment plots-within-plots and sacrifice the innocent.
You want to hate him, but here’s the thing: Usually Hoffman gets it right. Meanwhile, our best on-the-ground guy in the Middle East is Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio).
He’d be the perfect secret agent except that he’s burdened with a conscience and often goes toe-to-toe with Hoffman over the latter’s amoral machinations.
“You need to decide what side of the cross you’re on,” Hoffman tells him. “We need nailers, not hangers.”
Hoffman’s methods put him on about the same level as the terrorists he pursues. But Crowe is so good that often while watching DiCaprio’s spy, I found myself looking forward to the next appearance by his devious boss.
With a screenplay by William Monahan (from David Ignatius’ novel), “Body of Lies” follows these two uneasy allies as they track down the leader of a terrorist cell that has been blowing up things throughout Europe and the Middle East.
The film is an effective espionage procedural, carefully laying out the methods of the spy fraternity. Director Scott seems particularly fascinated by the eye-in-the-sky hardware that allows Ed to peer down on his agent virtually anywhere on the globe.
One of the big themes here is that spies can’t trust anyone. Ferris cannot trust Hoffman. Nor can he fully trust Hani (the excellent Mark Strong), head of Jordanian intelligence and a man whose gracious demeanor cannot disguise his ruthlessness.
“Body of Lies” is too intent on exploring its theme of evil in the name of good to become a truly personal story. The characters, though well-acted, are basically pawns in a convoluted story.
But it’s a story that slowly grabs our attention, and by the time it climaxes with a harrowing torture scene (those with queasy stomachs may find themselves heading for the exits) we’re on board.
Scott is one of the cinema’s great technicians, and the almost tactile images he captures give a real sense of the story’s foreign locales. The downside is that his films tend to be emotionally clinical.
But even if “Body of Lies” lacks a huge emotional wallop, it dishes plenty of food for thought.
| Robert W. Butler, The Star
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