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I had the chance to see Body of Lies tonight at a promotional screening in Hollywood.
Before the film
It would be an understatement to say I was excited for this film when it was first announced. It's American Gangster meets The Departed. Two of my favorite actors join forces with Ridley Scott, a fantastic filmmaker, with a screenplay written by William Monahan, (revised by Steven Zaillian!).
The main reason why I was so interested in this film is because I was born in Amman, Jordan and have family there until today. The entire film centers around Amman, which I felt was quite interesting if it's being handled by Scott, DiCaprio, and Crowe.
As soon as I saw the trailer for the film, I have to admit I was disappointed. Up until tonight, something felt like it was missing. It didn't feel like an all-star cast, or maybe that was the problem.
After the film
As soon as the film began, I knew I was completely wrong. I may have felt the way I did because I wasn't aware just how important of a story this film was involved in. The film began with intense action scenes, most of which were quite amazing. As soon as the film grew deeper and the story became clear, it became spectacular.
Ridley Scott described this film as about Islam and "where we are and where we're not." Ferris (DiCaprio) is in the Middle East, trying to crack down a major terrorist leader with the help of CIA operative, Hoffman (Crowe). It does a great job showing us who these terrorists are and how little we know about them. It shows the people behind the attacks we hear about from around the globe. Finally, it shows what "America" is doing about all of this. This part is surely up for interpretation.
DiCaprio is amazing as always. He tackles on a whole new language and does an excellent job, from the little Arabic I know.
However, I felt Crowe's character lacked the necessary depth. Sure, we see different aspects of his life, but he remains one-sided. Crowe does a great job depicting Ed Hoffman, who is often a "smart ass" and pretty funny, to say the least.
Overall, the film was much more than I expected and I am disappointed in myself for going in with low expectations. Afterall, DiCaprio is absolutely brilliant in every role and this was truly an all-star cast, (for me, at least). Great story and important dialogue. Pay attention! The ending is much, much better than I imagined. Great film!
Before the film
It would be an understatement to say I was excited for this film when it was first announced. It's American Gangster meets The Departed. Two of my favorite actors join forces with Ridley Scott, a fantastic filmmaker, with a screenplay written by William Monahan, (revised by Steven Zaillian!).
The main reason why I was so interested in this film is because I was born in Amman, Jordan and have family there until today. The entire film centers around Amman, which I felt was quite interesting if it's being handled by Scott, DiCaprio, and Crowe.
As soon as I saw the trailer for the film, I have to admit I was disappointed. Up until tonight, something felt like it was missing. It didn't feel like an all-star cast, or maybe that was the problem.
After the film
As soon as the film began, I knew I was completely wrong. I may have felt the way I did because I wasn't aware just how important of a story this film was involved in. The film began with intense action scenes, most of which were quite amazing. As soon as the film grew deeper and the story became clear, it became spectacular.
Ridley Scott described this film as about Islam and "where we are and where we're not." Ferris (DiCaprio) is in the Middle East, trying to crack down a major terrorist leader with the help of CIA operative, Hoffman (Crowe). It does a great job showing us who these terrorists are and how little we know about them. It shows the people behind the attacks we hear about from around the globe. Finally, it shows what "America" is doing about all of this. This part is surely up for interpretation.
DiCaprio is amazing as always. He tackles on a whole new language and does an excellent job, from the little Arabic I know.
However, I felt Crowe's character lacked the necessary depth. Sure, we see different aspects of his life, but he remains one-sided. Crowe does a great job depicting Ed Hoffman, who is often a "smart ass" and pretty funny, to say the least.Overall, the film was much more than I expected and I am disappointed in myself for going in with low expectations. Afterall, DiCaprio is absolutely brilliant in every role and this was truly an all-star cast, (for me, at least). Great story and important dialogue. Pay attention! The ending is much, much better than I imagined. Great film!