In the United States, contemporary war films have performed relatively poorly. Hoffman asks Salaam to use Karami, but he refuses, believing a greater return will come later. There is no reason why at some later point in time (a year or so from now, once there are other films to edit and this one is put on the proverbial backburner) we can't redirect Body of Lies back to the novel if that is consensus at that time . [19] A nine-week shoot also took place at CLA Studios and in the desert around the city of Ouarzazate. A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. DiCaprio dyed his hair brown, and wore brown contacts for the role. [13] The actor said as a result of the film's exploration of the American government and foreign policy, "I don't think it will be very popular, but that’s never been part of my project choice process. BODY OF LIES: Roger Ferris is the best man U.S. Intelligence has on the ground. [21] Scenes set in the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia were filmed at the National Geographic offices in Gaithersburg, Maryland; both buildings were set in woodland and "It was eerily similar in terms of architectural style,...", said Arthur Max, the production designer, "We were given several empty floors. Free shipping for many products! It earned £991,939 from 393 screens. Having recovered from his injuries, Ferris is assigned to Jordan to continue searching for Al-Saleem. The single-disc region one release included surround sound and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish; the two-disc special edition included commentaries by the director, screenwright and original novel author, and a behind the scenes documentary; the Blu-ray edition also included additional commentary on the film's themes. A CIA agent on the ground in Jordan hunts down a powerful terrorist leader while being caught between the unclear intentions of his American supervisors and Jordan Intelligence. Body of Lies movie reviews & Metacritic score: Roger Ferris is the best man U.S. Intelligence has on the ground, in places where human life is worth no more than the information it can get you. The film was screened on September 30, 2008 at Michigan Technological University,[29] and October 2, 2008 at Duke University, New York Film Academy, University of Maryland and University of Virginia. The plan is complicated by its being a secret from Hani and by Roger's attraction to a local nurse. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Under interrogation, Sadiki denies any knowledge of the attack. Ferris offers himself in exchange to Aisha's kidnappers and is brought to the middle of the desert, with Hoffman watching everything via a surveillance drone. Satellites and cell phones, bodies and lies: modern warfare. However, furious at Hoffman's refusal to act on the information Nizar provided, Ferris and Bassam go to search the safe house in Balad, Iraq, Nizar had told them about. "[33] Lou Lumenick in the New York Post wrote that, "There's nothing here we haven't seen in many other movies"[34] and Lisa Kennedy in The Denver Post summarised: "Body of Lies is an A-list project with B-game results. [26] It was not included on the soundtrack album but was released separately as a single. Simultaneously, Hoffman organizes (unbeknownst to Ferris) a "side operation" via a local agency. [41][42][43], "Big Stars Wielding an Array of Accents, Fighting the War on Terrorism", "Leonardo DiCaprio And Russell Crowe Will Be A Good 'Fit' In CIA Flick, Ridley Scott Hopes", "Russell Crowe Says 'Body Of Lies' Probably Won't Be Popular", "Interview: Why actor Mark Strong is an accidental anti-hero", "Jordan's ex-spy chief wasn't too good to be true", MP3: Serj Tankian, Mike Patton Tell Sonic Lies, "Cast of A-listers, but "Lies" only B game", "Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe's 'Body of Lies' is more intel hell", "Australia Box Office, October 9–12, 2008", Body of Lies takes a blow from My Best Friend's Girl, 'Body of Lies' is latest war film casualty at box office, "Iran imposes travel ban on star actresses", "IRAN: 'Body of Lies' hot in Tehran, causes headache for actress", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Body_of_Lies_(film)&oldid=1003045762, Films about the Central Intelligence Agency, Films with screenplays by William Monahan, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. DiCaprio is intense, but his Titanic-like charms add much-needed levity when he comes a-courting at his beloved physician's home. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Mark Strong in the lead roles. The purpose of the operation is to bring out into the open a master terrorist known only as "Suleiman." Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job acting in this movie. A group of Los Angeles teenagers meet every week at their local diner to discuss their latest misadventures in their miserable lives. Jamil Khoury as Marwan Se-Kia, GID operative and security officer of Hani Salaam. The critical consensus reads, "Body of Lies relies too heavily on the performances of DiCaprio and Crowe to lift it above a conventional espionage thriller. Body of Lies is the 2008 feature film adaptation of the novel of the same name written by David Ignatius, an American journalist and author. IMDb Score 7.1. Title: Body of Lies is a well-made film, but lacks the emotional impact required to keep its audience interested. The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother whom he keeps imprisoned. Trust no one. The film is the antithesis of a slick, superficial feature like Eagle Eye.It both demands and rewards thought. They used Kodak Vision2 500T 5218 instead of Technicolor's OZ process, which did not perform well in tests in the Moroccan desert. Just a little smoke was sprayed in to augment the atmosphere but not dull the contrast. [35] Ebert thought the cultural context of their relationship was well established, but that it essentially existed as a convenience of the plot, to set up the unlikely conclusion. Movies Similar To Body Of Lies (2008): Rendition (2007), Criminal (2016), American Assassin (2017), 13 Hours (2016), From Paris With Love (2010), Patriots Day (2016), Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008), Munich (2005), Blood Diamond (2006), 15 Minutes (2001) Written by 22 … Cynicism is everywhere. [17] The shoot took place over sixty-five days from September to December 2007. He desperately asks Salaam for help, admitting he fabricated Omar Sadiki's terrorist cell and the attack. An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film. The Americans are in pursuit of a cleric who leads a group placing bombs all over Europe. Set in the Middle East, it follows the attempts of the CIA and Jordanian Intelligence to catch "al-Saleem", a terrorist. Rated R for strong violence including some torture, and for language throughout, Showtime TV Show Ratings (updated 2/9/21), Can Ramy Yousef repeat Golden Globe win from last year? Body of Lies To lure the terrorist out into the open, Ferris will have to penetrate his murky world. [30], Body of Lies received mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ferris is a CIA operative in the Middle East; Ed Hoffman is his control at Langley. Body of Lies resumes this theme in the context of modern intelligence operations and terrorism. In March 2006, Warner Bros. hired screenwriter William Monahan to adapt the novel Penetration by David Ignatius into a feature film, which would be directed by Ridley Scott. DiCaprio may never look like he fits in but his performance is engaging and he does a lot to inject energy and pace that his material doesn't provide. But Body of Lies does do one thing perfectly: give viewers a chance to see two fine actors go toe to toe. 1 with a take of $17.5 million in its second week, and Sony/Screen Gems's Quarantine, which earned $14.2 million—about $2 million more than it cost to make. "[19][22] Locations in Baltimore also stood in for Manchester, England and Munich, Germany, although the final cut of the movie did not have any scenes that took place in Munich. David Ignatius' Body Of Lies" is a suspenseful, fast paced, exceptionally well written novel about a secret CIA operation in the Middle East. In the ensuing shootout and chase, Ferris and Bassam's vehicle is hit by an RPG. 7.1. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [23][24], Body of Lies was Alexander Witt's first credit as a director of photography; he had collaborated with Ridley Scott on six feature films previously, beginning as a second unit camera operator on Black Rain (1989). [18][19] Filming began on September 5, 2007 at the Eastern Market, Washington, D.C.[20] Practical locations were used throughout; part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood was converted to resemble a wintry Amsterdam to film a ten- to fifteen-second car bomb explosion. The problem is with the delivery because it gets itself tied up with the complexities of the plot and, in attempting to make sure the audience are following, it slows the action down and makes the film feel a lot heavier than it should do. Directed by Ridley Scott. Al-Saleem is shown arrested in his own SUV by Marwan Se-Kia, Salaam's security officer. [6] Joe Neumaier wrote in the New York Daily News that the film "aims to be up-to-the-moment – yet feels same-old, same-old. When Ferris asks Al-Saleem about Aisha, he is told that someone has lied to him and that he has been double-crossed. The only hiccup in Body of Lies (other than the unneeded Guantanamo reference) is the quasi-love story that manifests itself halfway through the film between Ferris and an Iranian nurse Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani). Body of Lies is a 2008 American action thriller film[3] directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. Abishi blows his cover with a terrorist from the safe house. Excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it. Body of Lies follows CIA operative, Roger Ferris, as he uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan. It does attempt to do this but it cannot deliver it as slickly and efficiently as it needed to, rather sucking the life out of this simple device and making them part of the problem. Strong does very well with his tough character and he does manage to make his thread all about him – not in a bad way, but in an accessible way. Karami escapes and notifies the terrorists in the safe house that it is being watched, and they abandon it. [38] In the United Kingdom, the film's earnings were the second-highest behind Quantum of Solace during November 21–23, its opening weekend. Average Customer Ratings. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Mark Strong in the lead roles. [27] The film has also been purchased by Turner Broadcasting System to screen on the television networks TBS and Turner Network Television.[28].