All three have distinct personalities that are well developed, conduct their jobs in very different ways and are portrayed by actors who always convince. The interactions and differences between these three main characters is definitely the film's most interesting aspect. He also clashes with the Jordanian head Hani Salaam, who is convincingly played by Mark Strong, a man who only asks that the CIA don't lie to him, which is something that Ferris finds increasingly difficult to avoid.

Hoffman appears all-knowing, frequently surveying from the air, keeping constant contact with Ferris as he aids him in setting up a fictional terrorist group to smoke out Al-Saleem. Confident, forcefully honest, almost egotistical, yet understanding the importance of the situation. Crowe is at his best playing characters like this. His superior Hoffman is played terrifically by Russell Crowe, whose weight gain and distinct accent allow him to become the character.

His disillusion with the lies he has to sow and backstabbing from his superiors make for some of the most intriguing moments, whilst providing some welcomed morality that never feels forced. Ferris grows into a more interesting character as the film progresses. I'm not sure many could have been as appealing as he is here. DiCaprio is a great choice for the role, given his superb ability to convey emotion and his delivery making even mundane dialogue seem important. Ferris is played by Leonardo DiCaprio who makes an excellent centrepiece for the film. Of course his practices involve plenty of lies and deceit as he tries to retain the support of the head of the Jordanian Intelligence. We follow Roger Ferris, a ground CIA operative who moves throughout the Middle East in an attempt to lure out and capture terrorist Al- Saleem. It makes it standout as a cut above many of its contemporaries. Though the film itself is sometimes guilty of falling back into safety, it remains consistently exciting and intently engaging even when those moments occur because of how keenly detailed and acted it is. Yet it never feels like it is stealing elements of those, more using them as a launch-pad for its own ideas.

It is post-Bourne wrapped up in a more mature Bond plot with a politically conscious edge. What is most interesting about Body of Lies is that it manages to rise above the predictability and formula that plagues the vast majority of espionage films.

Body of lies movie summary