Good solid far-fetched multiplex action-adventure fare in the Bondian mode, with awe-inspiring technology and just enough moral philosophizing laced through it to give the mind a little something to chew on.
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11/10/08
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Body of Lies (2008)
51
%
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Reviews Counted:37
Fresh:19
Rotten:18
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Body of Lies relies on the performances of Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio to elevate it beyond the conventional espionage thriller.
Theatrical Release:Oct 10, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $39,380,442
Synopsis: Leonardo DiCaprio fights terrorists for the CIA in this rapid-fire thriller from director Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR, BLACK HAWK DOWN). While Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) gets his hands dirty on the... [More]
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani
Director: Ridley Scott
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Reviews for Body of Lies
Top CriticJust because it's really dense and layered doesn’t mean it’s good.
11/10/08
Top CriticA complicated movie about the war on terror with two terrific performances and a terrific director.
11/10/08
Top CriticDiCaprio's solid, though I wonder if a real CIA agent could get away with looking so earnest every second. Crowe has the right idea, in addition to all the fun: Just throw it away, throw it away and pretty soon you build yourself a clever characterization
10/18/08
Top CriticYes, there are a couple of chase scenes, but Scott rarely shifts into high gear.
10/18/08
Top CriticIts chief bid at seriousness, a confrontational colloquy with the top terrorist near the end of the film, comes across as the awkward regurgitation of a hastily swallowed subscription to The Economist.
10/10/08
Top CriticIt's a study in semisimilitude, more Google-Earthly than grounded in feelings.
10/10/08
Top CriticThe plot occasionally becomes convoluted and murky, but when it trains its focus on matters of treachery and intrigue, Body of Lies is exciting and compelling.
10/10/08
Top CriticBody of Lies is more than anything a missed opportunity -- or perhaps, given its cellular phoniness, a series of missed connections.
10/10/08
Top CriticThis makes for a movie experience in which the viewer sits patiently for about 45 minutes waiting for the story to kick in, only to realize, oh. So this is it.
10/10/08
Top CriticBody of Lies is excessively intricate and extremely dull, the latest example of a filmmaker giving us a disjointed, overlong movie that’s unnecessarily confusing to follow.
10/10/08
Top CriticFor those who care about there being more to a thriller than pointless car chases and over-edited fight sequences, Body of Lies offers a satisfying dose of truth.
10/10/08
Top CriticIt's a little bit of Syriana, a lot of Traitor -- and an awful lot of scenes of people cursing into cell phones.
10/10/08
Top CriticBody of Lies is being hailed in some quarters as a 'new' kind of war thriller. While this glitzy production may attract audiences suffering from battle fatigue, it's nothing of the sort.
10/10/08
Top CriticThe movie isn’t witty or memorable, but it keeps you on edge, and it’s the first war-on-terror film to weave its anti-U.S. politics so deeply into the narrative that the characters don’t need to speechify.
10/10/08
Top CriticArt may be imitating life, but it sure makes for dull movies. Body of Lies is the latest example of what a crutch this has become -- show grainy satellite images, cut to a chase in a crowded bazaar, discuss 'intel'. Repeat.
10/10/08
Top CriticUnfortunately, we've seen variations on this story a dozen times.
10/10/08
Top CriticAs the film's episodic story gradually reveals itself, it ends up too unconvincing and conventional to consistently hold our attention.
10/10/08
Top CriticOn this basic premise builds a complicated story plied with onion layers of perspective and cunning.
10/10/08
Top CriticRussell Crowe's portrayal of an overweight, amoral CIA honcho in the Middle East thriller Body of Lies is mesmerizing, chilling, disturbing to the bone and one of the best performances of the year.
10/10/08
Top CriticLatest News for Body of Lies
February 16, 2009:
RT on DVD: High School Musical 3 or Midnight Meat Train?
It's a good week for mediocre films (Body of Lies, Changeling, Quarantine and Flash of Genius, which all walk a fine line between Fresh and Rotten) and an even better one if... More...
February 15, 2009:
The macho swagger of these US espionage interlopers around the planet has all the finesse of a wrestling ring, while imperialism is made to come off as really sexy. Body Of Lies: An Amman Gangster. 
More...
February 08, 2009:
The macho swagger of these US espionage interlopers around the planet has all the finesse of a wrestling ring, while imperialism is made to come off as really sexy. Body Of Lies: An Amman Gangster.
More...
November 21, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Does Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies Ring True? Is Blindness Blinding Or Bland?
It's a varied pick of films in the UK cinemas this week; we have Sir Ridley Scott's latest collaboration with Russell Crowe, the CIA thriller, Body Of Lies. Julianne Moore and... More...
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