"Hard To Kill Leo"
If you ever had doubts about Leonardo Di Caprio, BODY OF LIES will erase any of your those from your memory because this dude, this former poster boy is now an experienced actor who can... withstand just about any physical challenges needed to make the movie look real. BODY OF LIES is a thriller that will put you in the middle of what espionage is all about, scheming, double-crossing, the means to justify the ends, operations within operations, you never know who you can trust.. In the game where beating your enemy is the only objective, holding your cards while bluffing along the way is the only method to stay alive.
Seriously, I know it's just a movie, and Leo's physical condition wasn't really hurt and whenever he does get hurt, it's probably the stuntman and not him but Leo's acting is so believable it's as if he can take whatever it is that you try to throw at him. As the movie progresses, you wonder if anything at all could kill this man. The only pet peeves I have is that if you notice carefully, any actor would have a certain trademark, either in the way he speaks, or in his facial expression, or his body language, Leo says 'alright?!' one too many times. But it's not that significant enought that it would distract us from the fact that his movie is really well done.
Ridley Scott is known as a director who can stay calm while he puts everyone and everything around him in a sh*tstorm for the sake of good filming. I've read the book that this movie's based on. It's one of the best political thriller novels I've ever read by author David Ignatius and I think screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed) has done a fantastic job in adapting the story by taking the best parts and leave out those considered to be essential for the book but not so much for the big screen. I think it's wise that the movie doesn't dwell deeply into how Leo's character, Ferris got his job, his problem with his wife, and not even sex encounter with the girl he falls in love with in the Middle East. Director Ridley Scott does a wonderful job in choreographing every chaos, every high speed car chase scene, and every heart-pumping moment to give you that adrenaline rush.
Russell Crowe in this is more of a Supporting role, and for some reason, I don't think his American accent is all that great but he's pretty decent playing a character, Ed Hoffman, who is the cold-hearted, comic-relief intelligence boss, juggling his family and his job.
The movie itself, just like the book, consists of a series of attempts. It's not one long story that leads to a conclusion. You see Ferris' operation one after another keeps getting screwed one way or another because of side operations, mistrust, and lies, not just from his boss, but also from his allies and especially from his enemies.
What I like about the story is how it portrays how badly a side, any side, wants to win this war and they'll do it at all cost. Whenever there are civilians who die, Ferri's partner, an architect framed for what he didn't do, the intelligence in both sides just shake 'em off like they never existed in the first place. How can you work a job like that and sleep at night? But maybe this ain't the job for those with conscience.
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