Body of Lies (DVD)

See Leonardo look like a Middle Easterner.

See Leonardo chase terrorists.

See Leonardo in one hell of a spy thriller.

The disturbing situation in the Middle East has inspired some thought provoking movies within the last couple of years. The latest, and possibly the best of these kinds of films is Body of Lies. The film stars Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, but it is Leo that steals the show. His performance shows again that he’s come a looooong way from “Jack” in Titanic. Here he plays a CIA agent who goes from Iraq to Jordan trying to hunt down a terrorist named Al Saleem. He is the eyes and ears as to what’s going on in the streets. Meanwhile, he is monitored back in the States by his fellow power-hungry CIA coworker (played so annoyingly convincing by Crowe). They both have the same goal of bringing down the bad guys, but with completely different methods. DiCaprio wants to work with the local people and earn their trust. Crowe, filled with a little too much arrogance, wants to do things HIS way. They both clash a lot, which leads to some missions really getting screwed. Meanwhile, the terrorists are blowing stuff up in other parts of the world and time is running short. The film gets really good after the explosion in Amsterdam, when DiCaprio and team try and think of a way to bring Al Saleem into their hands. But, like the film’s tag says, “Trust No One. Deceive Everyone.” Things take a MAJOR turn towards the end when their entire plan doesn’t turn out the way they expected. With Leo's life on the line, will the bad guys win? Or will the terrorists plans backfire? Overall, Body of Lies is a damn good spy film. It’s packed with lots of action and a story that’s just as brilliant as it is disturbing. And the ending? Well, lets just say it was good enough to have me still thinking about it the day after watching it.