Iffy for 16+
Violent spy thriller is for adults only.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this gripping-though-inconsistent spy/terrorism thriller is quite violent -- almost tenaciously so. There's torture, gunfights, and explosions, as well as a fair number of close-ups of bloody injuries and corpses. People are sacrificed regardless of their loyalties, or even their actual involvement in terror activities. There's also some smoking and drinking and plenty of swearing (including "f--k"), though no real sexual content of note.
- Families can talk about the ongoing war on terror. How does this movie confirm or defy your expectations of what secret agents do? How accurate do you think it is? What messages is the movie trying to convey about espionage and terrorism? Do you think it has a particular agenda? What makes this different from other thrillers? Families can also discuss Ferris and Hoffman's relationship. How would you characterize it? Knowing all he's done, does Ferris ever get pangs of guilt? What does that say about his character?
The good stuff
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Messages: The lead characters don't know who to trust -- even among those who work at the same company they do. They kill others, including innocents, all in the name of getting ahead. Roger Ferris shows warmth toward a kind doctor, which triggers an epiphany of sorts.
What to watch for
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Violence: Agents whip a naked man in a torture cellar. Lot of explosions, most of which claim lives. Guns are drawn and shot; they're also pointed at people's heads. A man throws an object at a wall. Lots of double-crossing, some beatings, and much coercion. A character is shown using his bare hands to pick at bullet shrapnel lodged in his arm.
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Sex: Some mild flirting; one mention of a man needing to "bang" his wife.
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Language: Frequent use of everything from "s--t" and "p---y" to "f--k."
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Consumerism: Hood ornaments for Mercedes Benz; logos for Hewlett-Packard and BBC World News; bottles of Coke are prominently displayed in a few scenes.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Lots of social smoking and drinking.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Body of Lies by dlsnyc52
Great action packed movie! A must see.....
4
body of lies by glee1973
a suspeneful movie with a lot of twists and turns and no communication between allies a little hard to follow but a very good movie
3
Underdeveloped by Godeater28
People will consider this either a confusing action movie or an underdeveloped spy movie. I was hoping for more of an espionage thriller and the movie had plot potential but needed to have at least another hour of non-action scenes to develop what was going on. Events in this movie flipped through about a dozen cities and some of the characters were recruited, used, and killed so quickly that there was barely time to develop them. The action scenes were generally enjoyable although DiCaprio goes pretty rambo for an intelligence collector. I agree that the girlfriend plot line is way too underdeveloped to support the impact on events it eventually has. I'll see this again when it comes out to rent but it didn't meet the (admittedly lofty) expectations I had for the cast and director.
4
Done before a few times but still a good story of one against the politics and doubledealing by Dark_Chameleon
LD and RC are good actors and make this an engrossing film with no reason to not fall headlong into the styoryline, the action is good but not the typical overdone that hollywood loves so much, the actions and reactions seem realistic and the finish does seem to be realistic and not just the mushy or twisted end, I'd see this again on DVD and perhaps even buy it which says a lot.
Recommend seeing this with friends or alone, its an 'R' so no kids but not for nudity but more gore and language....Grade B+
4
Good Spy Thriller by Sagaboy
Good spy thriller with great acting from DiCaprio and Crowe. DiCaprio really shows how much he has matured as an actor here. The movie is gritty and violent and where you know who the bad guys are but you're hard pressed to tell who the good guys are in this movie, if there are any. Similarly, you're also hard pressed to know who's the pawn in this cat and mouse game of chess.
4
Body of Lies by moviegoer8145
Good CIA based thriller. Well acted and directed. The camera work was excellent and the action was fast and furious. I liked it very much and would recommend it to any one who likes action spy type movies.
1
Slow and Incredibly Boring by cwhite
I was expecting some action in this movie and did not leave fufilled. There are a few gory moments, but not much action. Would be great if you wanted a very plot intense movie about the Middle East. I expect that this is very true to what life is like over there. I was just wanting more than a historical movie about life in the Middle East. I expected action based on the previews.
5
Best movie I have seen all year! by denisa_z
The plot is interesting and contemporary.The visual effects and images are coordinated in an excellent way.But the reason you must watch this movie is that acting of Crow, DiCaprio & Mark Strong is unprecedented in the last year or so.You wont regret it!
5
Excellent Film by Randol
A stunning depiction of intellengence measures in Iraq. Full of startling and disturbing action scenes, complex plot which was easy to follow and was engaging. multiple twists of deceit which shock you at the end. an absolute must-see! DiCaprio's performace was outstanding and Ridley Scott nailed it again!