| Review:
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Whether it's the combined impact of the two filmmakers'
most recent work on gangster thrillers, or a case of just
plain bad moviemaking, Body Of Lies and its CIA setting
in the midst of Middle Eastern terror circles plays out
as less political intrigue than cops busting heads in the
hood. Director Ridley Scott (An American Gangster) and screenwriter
William Monahan (The Departed), who seem intent on displaying
the how of multiple assorted methods of butchering one's
political adversaries than why, that it's nearly impossible
to ever get into rooting for the designated CIA good guys,
and as nothing more than avid serial killers.***
Though spreading out across continents on an epic scale,
Body Of Lies is essentially a more hermetic duet, as Russell
Crowe's pudgy CIA honcho Hoffman phones in a series of clandestine
execution instructions to Middle Eastern operative Ferris
(Leonardo DiCaprio) between handfuls of junk food at his
suburban Virginia digs. This pair of odd couple, government
ordained off-the-books murder incorporated thuggish protagonists
alternates between butting heads over covert murder methods,
and moments of intended comic relief banter which is just
not funny, under the circumstances.***
After pulling off an incineration of an entire insurgent
hideaway in the desert, during which these unbelievably
dumb and dumber seasoned fighters have no idea that Leonardo's
friendly white infiltrator isn't an Arab, Ferris heads off
to Amman, Jordan for further instructions from his eating
disorder text messenger mate. This, while engaging on the
side in a little Geneva Conventions dodging, free lance
maneuvers of his own, shooting suspicious pedestrians in
the back of the head in broad daylight.***
Ferris' new assignment is to lure an apparently shy
mystery terrorist out into the cold, with a little help
from the local intelligence chief (Mark Strong), a dandy
in designer suits who has his nails done between pulling
out with pliers those of his disappeared torture victims.
When captured for a bit himself, Ferris takes some applied
finger crushing in relative stride, while remaining lucid
enough to deliver a speech scolding his captors for being
sucker dupes as fleeting tools of the oil companies. Huh?***
Body of Lies and its unfortunately all too revealing
title about this movie, demands of the audience that its
global cowboy politics are an acceptable given, and don't
have to be earned or even convincing. And while the macho
swagger and bullying tactics of these US infiltrators around
the planet with their extra-legal methods have all the finesse
of a wrestling ring, imperialism comes off as really sexy.
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| Special
Features: |
The {Blu-ray} edition of "Body of Lies" features
all kinds of special features the {Standard Version} features
(none), the {Blu-ray) are all presented in high definition.
In the package their is Interviews, deleted scenes, and
featurettes which add to the background of the making of
this film.***
Audio Commentary: Director "Scott", screenwriter
"Monahan", and author "Ignatus" discuss
the book, the actors, and the story around the film. Scott
is a lot more involved in chatting about the film than the
other two men but it still kept my interest throughout .
Deconstructing Body of Lies (HD, 85 minutes): This {90}
minute segment includes series of featurettes that can be
accessed in one of three ways, Including an interactive
way to click on-screen icons during that film segment that
are features.
Deleted Scenes & Alternate Ending (HD, 15 minutes):
The four cuts wouldn't have added much to the film and I
enjoyed the original ending much better this one included
here,also included is a BD-Live Functionality Digital Copy
Disc
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