Credit for the writing goes to William Monahan (whose other produced work includes Kingdom of Heaven and The Departed). He has written a complex script that weaves in real world tensions, giving us a film that could be a James Bond flick if those flicks were more grounded in the real world. Combine the words with the skilled direction from Ridley Scott and you have a recipe for success. Scott makes the most of actual locations from around the world, delivering some authentic globetrotting.
The performances are also first rate. DiCaprio turns in yet another fine performance. He brings weight and depth to Ferris, not to mention a very charismatic screen presence. Crowe plays counterpoint to DiCaprio, bringing us a character who is fighting the good fight. Although his methods are questionable, he is not dumb; he knows what he is doing. Mark Strong is not to be forgotten as Hani Salaam; his suave performance is just fantastic, you will not be able to take your eyes off of him.
Bottom line. Stronger than I was expecting. I was drawn in hook, line, and sinker. Body of Lies moves at a brisk pace and the two plus hour run time flies by. This is the result of a strong script, direction, and performances and deserves to be seen on the big screen.
Highly Recommended.
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