Body of Lies (2008) ***1/2

You ever feel like you're doing all the work while your boss is getting all the credit? You're busting your ass getting the job done while you boss gets all the fortune and glory. Body of Lies is basically that story. Leonardo DiCaprio is Roger Ferris, a CIA contact on the ground in the middle east. In the process of his job it's a daily ritual to be shot at, blown up, lied to, and generally having said life in danger constantly. His boss is Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) a CIA suit at Langley whose office is mainly a war room with a large computer screen watching what Ferris is up to and who he's with. While Ferris is able to work things out with foreign governments to share information and catch terrorists Hoffman tends to screw that up with his ego to the point that Jordanian Intelligence throws Ferris out of the country. Ferris is in danger while Hoffman is seeing his kids off to school and having his morning cup of coffee.

Directed by Ridley Scott the film is filled with some nice action sequences. The problem is between the stuff blowing up. Di Caprio and Crowe are great in their roles, but some scenes tend to drag. There is a sub plot involving Ferris and a love interest, but it seems a little thrown in as away for a little more conflict later on in the movie. A character written in to bring the film to its conclusion it seems. It is an interesting film with some great shots from Scott and company and some great acting, but the points where it slows down bring the film down a bit. A good film, but not one of Scott's best.