Body of Lies

Body of Lies is a 2008 American spy film directed by Ridley Scott. Set in the Middle East, it follows the attempts of the CIA and Jordanian Intelligence to catch al-Saleem, a fictional jihadist terrorist. Frustrated by his elusiveness, differences in their approaches show and strain relations between a CIA operative, his superior and the head of Jordanian Intelligence. The CIA orchestrate a staged bombing in Turkey, making it seem to be the work of a previously unknown terrorist, betting that al-Saleem's pride will encourage him to make contact with those responsible.



Based on Washington Post columnist David Ignatius' 2007 novel about a CIA operative, Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), who uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan. When Ferris devises a plan to infiltrate his network, he must first win the backing of cunning CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the collegial, but perhaps suspect, head of Jordanian intelligence. Although ostensibly his allies, Ferris questions how far he can really trust these men without putting his entire operation - and his life - on the line.

William Monahan based the screenplay on the novel of the same name by David Ignatius. The film was shot in the United States and in cities and studios in Morocco, after authorities in Dubai refused permission to film there due to the script's political themes. Marc Streitenfeld arranged the musical score.

Scott's direction and visual style were praised by critics, but they criticised his formulaic handling of the story and use conventions from the spy genre, such as surveillance shots from high altitude spy planes. The performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and Mark Strong as the three principals, were particularly mentioned, including DiCaprio's involvement with his character, Crowe's put-on accent and weight and Strong's urbane sophistication.

The film has received mixed reviews from critics with a rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus that the film relies too heavily on the performances of DiCaprio and Crowe to lift it above a conventional espionage thriller.
Mark Strong's performance was mentioned by several critics, Scott called it "a marvel of exotic suavity and cool insinuation" and Ebert "particularly admired" his aura of suave control.