Preview: Body of Lies (2008)

• Poster: C

Review:

This poster is so dark and minorly detailed that without the names at the top, you might not even know who is featured on the poster. The concept escapes me on this one as it says absolutely nothing about the film except that Leonardo DiCaprio wields a gun and Russell Crowe stands in profile on occasion.

• Trailer: C+; C

Review:

This is your traditional espionage thriller featuring Russell Crowe (apparently playing a bad guy) and Leonardo DiCaprio (apparently playing the good guy). It doesn't seem nearly as interesting as the cast would suggest. Much of the film seems to be a moral imperative on the position of Americans as terrorist-hunters, but from this short preview doesn't appear to be saying anything new.

Ridley Scott's recent output seems to be more similar to other features in his milieu than his output in the '80s and '90s. There are elements in the trailer that suggest it will be an interesting character story, but there appears to be mroe explosions than may be necessary...either that or they just put all of the ones from the film into the compact trailer.

Oscar Prospects:

There will be an Oscar push for this film but I'm not sure that it has the power to earn DiCaprio or Crowe a nomination, but depending on the strength of the other fall offerings, they could still figure...of course, being Ridley Scott, the Academy might finally get the desire to try and recognize him.

Release Date:

• October 10, 2008

Full Review Synopsis:

I have not seen this film.

-Wesley Lovell (July 27, 2008) Original

-Wesley Lovell (August 17, 2008) New Trailer

-Wesley Lovell (January 11, 2009) New Poster; Buy the Poster Enabled