We judge it for you: Body of Lies

Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Body of Lies'

The Middle East that plays host to Body of Lies is a place of intrigue, questionable intentions, and more spies than you can shake a stick at. But despite the locale, the film remains a lackluster entry in an already overburdened genre; it poses many questions about Middle Eastern politics and loyalties that it never quite answers.

Following the orders of his boss Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) in Washington, D.C., CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) travels throughout the Middle East (stops include Jordan, Iraq, Dubai and Syria), plotting covertly under a cover of high-gloss espionage and near-constant deception. DiCaprio, all grit and grim determination, displays a ferocious stop-at-nothing scowl in his quest to get to the bottom of a vast terrorist cell led by the elusive Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul).

As the slick spook in charge of the operation, Ferris’ experience in the Middle East doesn’t always work in his favor. He speaks Arabic, flirts with Aisha, an Iranian nurse working in Jordan (Golshifteh Farahani), and tries to prove his worth to — and earn the trust of — Hani, a Jordanian intelligence officer (Mark Strong). He and Hani are both determined to capture Al-Saleem, a common enemy, but each has a different plan to track him down and the requisite moral flexibility to achieve that end.

The film may feature two acting heavyweights, but Oscar winner Crowe and Oscar nominee DiCaprio have very few scenes together; mostly, they communicate via satellite and mobile phone. We would rather have seen them playing off each other and not just yelling into their Bluetooths.

There’s plenty here for action junkies, including several bombings, shoot-outs and a chillingly graphic torture scene. Tension abounds as the various spies toss off one-liners and vow to complete the mission, but something is missing in even the best of scenes. For a film billed as a political thriller, the film contains plenty of intrigue but a disappointing lack of thrill.

Film is directed by Ridley Scott, and also stars Oscar Isaac (Bassam), Ali Suliman (Omar Sadiki), Mehdi Nebbou (Nizar) and Kais Nashif (Mustafa Karami).

Grade: C