'Body of Lies' Review

Russell Crowe as Ed Hoffman and Leonardo DiCaprio as Roger Ferris in Body of Lies. Watch the trailer: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/body-of-lies/25139/main

I'm a big fan of director Ridley Scott's movies, even his less successful ones. Why is Body of Lies doing poorly at the box office? Is it because audiences are shying away from movies about Iraq regardless of good reviews or this one is a bit confusing if you don't follow it closely? You would think that casting two popular & talented actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe should have been enough of a draw but this pairing didn't overcome the subject matter and complicated script problems.
DiCaprio plays a zealous CIA agent stationed in Iraq who uses everyone to find an elusive terrorist while his manipulative boss played by Crowe uses him and everyone for the same goal. Both men have different ideas and ideals which are on display as they constantly clash over the phone and in person. These two performances are worth watching and the rest of the cast is good too, especially Mark Strong as a Jordanian security officer who expects both men to play by his rules in his country. As he says, friendship goes a long way in his part of the world as well as good manners, something they learn the hard way when one of our stars is now on the receiving end of torture.
There's plenty of killings, explosions, chases, and grisly torture scenes edited for their full impact as one expects with visuals in a Ridley Scott movie. A budding romance between DiCaprio and an Iranian nurse is nicely worked into the plot, adding another spin on the class of cultures. The plot needs to be followed closely or you will be lost keeping track of events. Expect a bit of Middle Eastern stereotyping of villains but that's what you expect in this kind of story. DiCaprio keeps getting better with better roles that continue to develop his acting skills. Crowe put a lot into his performance too, as in gaining several pounds to make him look more like a bureaucrat who gave up running around in the field like DiCaprio.