Body of Lies
Body of Lies Image
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Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 108 Ratings

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  • Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Strong, Russell Crowe
  • Summary: Roger Ferris is the best man U.S. Intelligence has on the ground, in places where human life is worth no more than the information it can get you. In operations that take him around the globe, Ferris' next breath often depends on the voice at the other end of a secure phone line--CIA veteran Ed Hoffman. Strategizing from a laptop in the suburbs, Hoffman is on the trail of an emerging terrorist leader who has orchestrated a campaign of bombings while eluding the most sophisticated intelligence network in the world. To lure the terrorist out into the open, Ferris will have to penetrate his murky world, but the closer Ferris gets to the target, the more he discovers that trust is both a dangerous commodity and the only one that will get him out alive. (Warner Bros.)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 37
  3. Negative: 1 out of 37
  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. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    80
    Its generic attributes (and title) notwithstanding, Scott's film may be the sharpest of all the post-9/11 thrillers--and also the most purely entertaining--in the way it maps the vectors and currents of the modern intelligence-gathering game without losing us in its dense narrative thicket.
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    60
    The film has one indelible asset: Mark Strong, who plays the Jordanian spymaster Hani. He's sleek and lounge-lizard sharp like a young Andy Garcia, and he could be bigger than Garcia. The Jordanian holds all the cards, and opposite two superstars, Strong is the only actor who holds the camera.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    33
    Most of this just seems, you know, so three years ago, so "Bourne" again.

See all 37 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 39
  3. Negative: 3 out of 39
  1. TonyM
    10
    Another masterpiece from Ridley Scott. Small problem in the plot which had me rocking in my seat- Those UAV's have Infrared. The U.S. could have seen the exchange of Ferris.… Expand
  2. tj
    8
    DiCaprio is excellent. Scott's filmmaking is top-notch. Could the characters be fleshed out a bit more--yes, but this is a gripping and exciting film. Better than 95% of the movies out there.… Expand
  3. 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.… Expand
  4. 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.… Expand

See all 39 User Reviews

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