Body of Lies
Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 37
  3. Negative: 1 out of 37
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  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Perry Seibert
    88
    The crisply photographed and edited Body of Lies reveals some ambition, for while it certainly works as pure entertainment, this tale of a good man trying to extract himself from an impossible situation offers some commentary on America's feelings about being in Iraq.
  2. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    88
    Body of Lies neither panders nor condescends. It involves current events and has a political viewpoint, but it overplays neither.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 108 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 39
  3. Negative: 3 out of 39
  1. LisaB
    4
    If it had not been for Mark Strong's performance in this movie, it would have been terrible. I'm a big DiCaprio fan, not so much of Crowe. But I expected a lot from this movie. As some people said before, it was a bit too Hollywood for my taste. But again, Strong's perforance steals the show and he proves that he can hold his own and even shine brighter than well known great actors.… Full Review »
  2. JasonM.
    7
    Something tells me that my rating would have been much lower had it not been for the fact that I got a good night's sleep before seeing this movie. In other words: This is a VERY complex film, with many subtleties and subplots, and one must be prepared to give it their undivided attention. That said, Body of Lies is certainly worth the attention span required. It is indeed cleverly executed and well acted; specifically, my favorite performance was that of Mark Strong, as the Jordanian head of Intelligence. Overall, Body of Lies intelligently combines the art of mind-games war drama with a cautious amount of exploding-in-your-face action. Why not a higher score? While the film was well put together, I feel that it is ultimately a bit forgettable. Movies like this have been done before, and this one doesn't exactly stand out from the bunch. Worth seeing if you see a lot of movies, but if you're an occasional moviegoer, you may wish to skip it.… Full Review »
  3. kublay0880
    7
    To me this was a good simple story with a decent script, but I still can't see Leonardo DiCaprio acting as a spy or a stone-cold-blood-killer-bad ass-special ops-agent, I still see him as a teenage actor suitable for Glee maybe but that aside, the movie is still very entertaining.… Full Review »
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