A respectable second-rank thriller -- intelligent but muddled, action-packed but thoughtful.
Comment
10/17/08
Body of Lies (2008)
51
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:188
Fresh:96
Rotten:92
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Body of Lies relies on the performances of Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio to elevate it beyond the conventional espionage thriller.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Oct 9, 2008 Wide
US 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
Reviews for Body of Lies
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
Top CriticDespite the dog-eared set-ups and situations, Body of Lies also has a lot going for it.
10/10/08
Top CriticLies and consequences form the heart of this bold, hard-hitting drama in which people are used as commodities, while Big Brother keeps a watchful eye -- both DiCaprio and Crowe inhabit their characters totally
10/04/08
Top CriticLeonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe fire up Ridley Scott's terrific political thriller, which might finally drag audiences to a flick about the War On Terror.
10/08/08
Top CriticExciting enough while it's unfolding, but it lacks an original element and there aren't enough scenes where Crowe and DiCaprio are playing off each other.
10/17/08
Top CriticBy the end, Body Of Lies is revealed as just another big-budget movie designed to cash in on the real-enough Middle East conflicts. It's a gangster movie without cops and criminals.
10/10/08
Top CriticThe complex plot is rendered with clarity and precision, the action scenes are very well staged, the suspense is palpable, and the performances are first-rate.
10/10/08
Top CriticBody of Lies may not tell us anything we didn't already know about the way the US does business in the Middle East, but it's compelling nonetheless.
10/17/08
Top CriticConvincing and gripping, Body of Lies is at the epicentre of Ridley Scott's comfort zone as an action adventure with political overtones as well as some intimate human insights
10/04/08
Top CriticSome show is made of plunging the viewer into a dense cloud of moral ambiguity, but this is mostly smoke and mirrors: while the American heroes may employ some dubious tactics, the justice of their cause is never in doubt.
10/10/08
Top CriticDiCaprio works hard while Crowe does chores at home and eats.
10/07/08
Hugely disappointing film, even moreso when considering the talent involved.
10/13/08
It's official: the Ridley Scott who created such signature visions as Blade Runner and Alien is dead and has been replaced by a pod person that churns out slick-looking, but wholly generic big-budget time-wasters.
10/12/08
Anyone who actually sees Body of Lies will have a hard time taking it as seriously as audiences took Scott's Black Hawk Down.
10/10/08
Visually the film is so undistinguished it may be time for the maker of Blade Runner to be subjected to that film’s Voigt-Kampff test, to determine whether the current owner of the name “Ridley Scott” is real or a replicant.
11/21/08
I'm usually not crazy about thrillers, but this one had me engaged from start to finish.
10/11/08
It's a Mideast thriller pulsing with suspense, shootouts, explosions, flashy movie-star performances and the kind of evocative atmosphere that has made director Ridley Scott famous.
10/10/08
DiCaprio and Crowe, who both deliver excellent performances, may nevertheless be overshadowed by the outstanding turn by British actor Strong.
10/10/08
The fact that Roger could have turned to Ed and said, 'I got to go see about a girl,' comes close to negating the impact this film should have.
10/14/08
DiCaprio bleeds and curses and emotes all over the desert, but the movie he inhabits seems cold, like a clockwork mechanism...
10/10/08
Latest 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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