To introduce a bit of light-heartedness in an otherwise heavy subject – Scott deftly touches upon a budding romance between Ferris and a local Jordanian nurse… which provides a smile here and there. Also it shows that the Americans with all their political and technological muscle are not as much in control as they like to show…and that in field the rules of engagement are different. They are dirty, grimy and very human. The point of the matter is that everyone down there is a bastard. The crux of the movie lies in the realistic and accurate potrayal of the situation in the middle-east – without going into jingoism or long partriotic speeches. The movie also avoids a common pitfall with such ventures – one that of a “Moral of the Story”. Hoffman pursues his “take-no-prisoners” high-handed agenda from Washington, while Ferris fights an increasingly deceptive enemy on the ground – and finds himself lying to his one true ally in the region – Hani.

To catch an increasingly active but elusive terrorist Al-Saleem – Ferris, Hoffman along with the suave and polished head of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Pasha (played by the superb Mark Strong) – launch an operation replete with lies and deceit. (It is amazing how the guy reinvents himself for each role.) Ferris and Hoffman share a love-hate relationship – where the former often finds himself at odds with the capricious games, underhanded politically motivated dealings and sheer lies perpetrated by Crowe. His boss is an ex-field-operative, now shrewd and ruthless wheeler-dealer in Washington, Ed Hoffman – played by a spiteful Russell Crowe. The movie follows the life of a CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio – competent as usual) with a conscience and a human heart, as he deals with various terror groups in the Middle East. Crossing, Double-crossing and Triple-crossing…all in a days work. As the name suggests “Body of Lies” is about the untruthful games played by the various parties engaged in the war on terror.

Body of lies movie whipping