"Russell Crowe, Leo D, and Ridley Scott keep it moving; though you don't always know exactly what's going on, you're always relatively entertained. "

In the hands of lesser talent, Body of Lies probably would have been a jumbled mess. But Russ Crowe, Leo D, and Rid Scott keep it moving; and though you don't always know exactly what's going on, you're always relatively entertained. So that's a win, right?

Leonardo DiCaprio plays a C.I.A. agent under the direct control of bossman Russell Crowe. He's involved in some pretty high-level covert activity in Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and the U.A.E. The majority of the film takes place in Jordan, where Leo is tasked with finding a terrorist mastermind in the mold of bin Laden. A gentleman named Hani (Mark Strong) plays the other male lead -- he's the head of Jordanian Intelligence. His interactions with Leo form the backbone of the film. Of course the plot involves your normal Spy Game crosses, double crosses, and triple crosses with a reverse twist. That's part of the charm of any espionage film in my book.

What works for Body of Lies is its absolute insistence on keeping you off-balance. As I mentioned earlier, this is a film that prides itself on having a lot going on. It's also aces at showing off spy technology. The overhead satellite shots are geek heaven. Crowe and DiCaprio have great chemistry too, with each actor keeping the other right on the edge. The only real criticism I can offer here is the mandatory love angle. It's not so much that it's done poorly but more that it was done at all.

I'd urge you to check this one out this weekend. Most of you already let a very solid film called The Kingdom pass you by last year -- probably because these days we're all doing our best to think only happy thoughts. But Body of Lies isn't so much about Iraq, or terrorism, or surveillance as much as it's about presenting two actors and a director who know what they're doing. I do think there is a larger message woven in, one about our reliance on gadgets instead of hard human intelligence, but if you're in the right mood that will miss you completely. You'll be left only with an entertaining time at the movies.

Grade: A-

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