'Body of Lies' perfectly balanced

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Russell Crowe, Leonardo Di Caprio, Mark Strong

If, under President Obama, America enters a new phase of diplomacy in the Middle East it will be interesting to see what sort of films emerge from Hollywood … possibly more like this subtle and exciting spy thriller.

While set around the hunt by CIA operative Ferris (Di Caprio) for terrorist bombers based in Jordan this is, at heart, an examination of the nature of trust and deceit … and the body of lies that accompany them.

Scott, one of the best directors around, plays it straight: there is action, but he doesn’t overdo it.

There is US Government involvement in the murky waters, but he doesn’t hammer it home.

There are characters whose loyalty is constantly in doubt, but he realises that life is never quite lived in black and white.

And there are, too, excellent performances from Crowe, as Ferris’s results-at-any-cost boss, and Strong, as the man Ferris works with but isn’t sure if he can fully trust.

And there is Di Caprio at the centre of it all … all of them working to the peak of their abilities in a thoughtful drama.

Star Rating: 4/5