2 of 3

Golshifteh Farahani as Aisha

But Strong almost steals the movie as the suave, imperious Hani Salaam. His eagle-eyed intensity gives him a formidable, menacing screen presence, so it catches us by surprise when he proves to have a sharp wit that relieves some of the film's relentless tension.

Strong is just one of many utterly convincing actors Scott has drawn together to portray the Middle Eastern players. There's Oscar Isaac, The Nativity Story's Joseph, making yet another strong impression. And Munich's Simon McBurney as the implausible computer genius who has the world at his fingertips.

The script was adapted by William Monahan from a novel by David Ignatius, a Washington Post journalist who analyzes CIA operations in the Middle East. And just as he did in his Academy Award-winning screenplay for The Departed, Monahan deftly juggles a large cast of tough-guy characters without ever confusing us about who's who.

Even better, he demonstrates discernment in his refusal to turn this into a story of the Good Guys versus the Bad Guys. He sees a mix of honor and wickedness in Americans, Jordanians, and Iraqis, in freedom fighters and in warlords. In that sense, Body of Lies resembles Kingdom of Heaven, continuing Ridley Scott's trend of seeing wars through the eyes of compassion, rather than through nationalistic bias.

The film's magnificent production design and sumptuous cinematography make Morocco a convincing stand-in for other Middle-East locations. The filmmakers seem driven to demonstrate the complexity of these present quagmires and conundrums. Moreover, they seem set on bursting the balloon of American ego, raising questions about the ethics of presumptuous U.S. interventionists, and at the same time impressing upon us the severity of the jihadist threat to homeland security.

Director Ridley Scott (left) with his costars

Like Blade Runner, Body of Lies reminds us of the corrupting nature of power, and how those who look down on the rest of the world often fail to understand the consequences of their actions or the suffering they unleash. Meanwhile, Ferris, who like Deckard does the dirty work on the ground, experiences an awakening, and begins questioning the ethics of those who give him orders. Is he a plotter, or a pawn? A savior, or a tool?

Hoffman's brash and obnoxious behavior are off-putting, but we can't just dismiss him as an American jackass because he sees so many things so clearly. He's right when he describes the advantages of an old-world foe, a foe that doesn't carry a cell phone. And when he describes the fragility of Western civilization in a world of powerful jihadists, his aggressive tactics make a whole lot of sense.

Alas, the film's serious investigations of ethics and foreign policy are undercut by the film's obvious eagerness to entertain. It stumbles into bewildering implausibility when Ferris survives bombing after gunfight after bombing. His romance with an Iranian nurse (Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani) is preposterous. And the closing scene brings a complicated relationship to a disappointingly simplistic resolution.

But we should be glad that Ridley Scott is joining the growing list of filmmakers educating Americans on the complexity of Middle Eastern conflict. The War on Terror is becoming a genre. The Kingdom, Rendition, Traitor, and an acclaimed, as-yet-unreleased Katheryn Bigelow actioner The Hurt Locker are inspiring a lot of discussion. And we should hope to see directors who will be bold enough to examine more closely the religious convictions that set extremists apart from other Muslims.

Viewers are likely to walk away from Body of Lies admiring its conscientious hero, but they're also likely to believe Hoffman when he says that the War on Terror is not likely to be "won." Instead, it's going to be ongoing, a conflict that requires constant vigilance—with no end in sight.

next page... |  2 of 3