A taut and engaging Middle Eastern thriller from Ridley Scott, who handles the political motivations just as well as the frenetic action scenes. BODY OF LIES is a modern-day counterpart to Scott's Crusader epic KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, revealing how the war between the East and West is nowadays fought through terror attacks and sinister subversion rather than all-out battles.

DiCaprio continues to develop as one of the most interesting actors of our age while Russell Crowe is cast against type as a shifty CIA controller. Although the on-the-ground operations, bombings and betrayals are as exciting as you'd expect, the film's real strength lies in the back story: namely, America's interference in cultures it doesn't fully understand or get to grips with. Add in another dignified performance from Mark Strong and you have a winning combination for a movie.

Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a CIA agent working on the ground. His handler is the cynical hard head of Near East Division Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe). When Ferris finds intel in Iraq leading to a terrorist safe house in Amman Jordan, he tries to work with Jordanian Intelligence. However friction between Ferris and Hoffman keeps causing problems.

Director Ridley Scott knows how to make an action movie. The story and the locations have a certain realism. However I could never really buy the lily white face of Leo as a field agent. And while Russell Crowe is pretty good. He's too detached from the field. In fact, Leo and Russell don't meet face to face until almost 50 minutes in. They are better acting together in the same room. It's a good spy thriller with some realism but also some unlikely touches.

With DiCaprio and Crowe out there, what is a very obtuse movie at times becomes quite a thriller. Crowe sits back and lets things happen. He knows how little say he really has, so he just puts people in harm's way. DiCaprio finds himself in Jordan trading secrets, and never knowing whom to trust. Crowe is a coach who keeps sending him back for more brutality. We also see the delicate balance that exists among the invaders (us) and the indigenous folks who are ever vigilant. There is a romance that is a bit distracting but explains a lot. The main character, however, is like a gang member trying to leave the game. It becomes very complicated and when he sees how much investment he has, he has to follow orders. This isn't the best movie of its kind, but it will keep one involved.