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Body of Lies (R, 2008)

common sense media says

Violent spy thriller is for adults only.

parents & educators say
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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.

Positive 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.
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.
Sex: Some mild flirting; one mention of a man needing to "bang" his wife.
Language: Frequent use of everything from "s--t" and "p---y" to "f--k."
Consumerism: Hood ornaments for Mercedes Benz; logos for Hewlett-Packard and BBC World News; bottles of Coke are prominently displayed in a few scenes.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Lots of social smoking and drinking.
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More on Body of Lies

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
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?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hotshot CIA operative running shotgun on covert maneuvers in the Middle East. Edward Hoffman (Russell Crowe) is the paunchy, headstrong boss who has his back -- most of the time -- back in Langley, Virginia. Their mission is to stop the terrorists in their tracks and capture their fearsome leader, Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul). But they're foiled repeatedly ... until Ferris hatches a scheme to create a new, fictitious leader vying for prominence with Al-Saleem. It's a bloody plan aimed at trying the guilty, but it ends up sacrificing the innocent. Ferris isn't sure whether his allies -- including Jordanian intelligence -- are truly behind him, or whether his newfound friendship with an Iranian doctor (Golshifteh Farahani) will put everything, including himself, in jeopardy.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
The tension begins from the first moment and rarely lets up in Ridley Scott's BODY OF LIES. The quick camera cuts and the rough, gritty terrain add to the pressure. All good to be sure. But couple that with the movie's nearly unrelenting violence (bombs exploding, machine guns firing, bodies bleeding) and you end up with a thriller that flirts dangerously with being overdone (this is not a film for anyone prone to migraines). Although it offers a fascinating (if labyrinthine) look at the intricacies of running covert operations, in the end, it focuses too much on serving up stylized fare when all we really long for is a good, old-fashioned spy movie. Or at least one that illuminates or adds depth to what we already know -- from the news and from other movies that have taken on the subject -- about the war on terror.

But Body of Lies does do one thing perfectly: give viewers a chance to see two fine actors go toe to toe. DiCaprio is intense, but his Titanic-like charms add much-needed levity when he comes a-courting at his beloved physician's home. And Crowe is arrogant but compelling in a role that has him dispensing murderous orders while at his child's soccer game buffet and swinging by school for a drop off.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Strong, Russell Crowe
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 123 minutes
Theatrical release: October 8, 2008
DVD release: February 17, 2009
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence including some torture, and for language throughout.
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This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 
 

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i_like_movies
adult
12
 
It's a lot like Blood Diamond, except replace the Africans with Arabs, and the diamonds with bombs.
as a major Leo fan i HAD to see this movie. it says f*ck a lot, so if you have problems with that... theres whipping, he gets bit/attacked by dogs, blood, a lot of inapropriate language, bombs and mad arabian people. its a lot like Blood Diamond except replace the african people with arabs, and the diamonds with bombs. i dont think people gave this movie enough credit. it took me a day to get the ending, the whole lie concept and then another day to relate it to the title. over all i would say that you shouldnt let young kids watch it, but i think people who like action movies in general (or Leonardo DiCaprio) should, because its a really good movie. review from a 14 year old girl.
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lolfaceman
teen, 16 years old
13
 
good movie but one voilent secene
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zasderfght
teen, 14 years old
15
 
Body of lies, while it has its moments, is mediocre at best.
Body of lies was an average film. It did have it's moments but the project fell flat and boring. The film spends way too much time trying to become psychological when this is just suppose to be an action thriller, not an Alfred Hitchcock film. After the dull sequel Hannibal, I thought I could forgive Ridley Scott for that poor attempt, unfortunately I can't. The only masterpiece Scott made was Alien, in my opinion. Body of lies is highly overrated and so is Ridley Scott. For sexual content, there are a few sexual references. A nude man is wiped in a torturing scene, although we only see his chest. For violence and gore there are several violent acts that occur along with some that involve blood. Mostly shooting and punching. There are two or more scenes of torture involving wiping. For profanity there are about 50 uses of the f word and some with (mother and added with -ing), other profanities such as s***, a**, a**hole, g*ddamn, p****, c*cks*cker, and a few sexual references/innuendoes.
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ourblackego
adult
13
 
Very good...
Failry decent, some F words, average for an R-Rated movie... Some torture violence, and alil blood. BEsides the ending it was a great movie... THe ending good have been better, but not complaining ... Good movie.
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