Body of Lies: Nobody’s Innocent …

Hmmm …

I don’t know if we’ve seen a good film, or not.

As you know, myself and whoever else wants to come along, have been watching a few movies, over the past few months.

Tonight’s film was a bit of a novelty for me; the Ridley Scott directed “Body of Lies”.

Which is … good …

I think.

Although not usually something that would — out of the box — grab my attention.

Normally, about the only time I’m guaranteed to to catch a spy thriller is if it’s a Bond movie; and the political thriller sub-genre usually

Body of Lies is a bit of a novelty for me, although I know Adrian goes for them more than I do.   It’s a film that — for me — doesn’t necessarily convince me to watch others in the genre, although I did find myself entertained.

Especially by Mark Strong’s performance as Jordanian intelligence chief, Hani Salaam.

Body of Lies is riveting to watch, for his performance alone.

Have you sometimes read a book, and thought that such and such an actor would be perfect as one of the characters in it?

There’s a scene , early in Body of Lies where Strong, as Salaam, is … persuading … a minor character to work as an undercover plant for Jordanian intelligence, to demonstrate to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character how these things should be done.

And doesn’t do it by threats.

Or bribery.

No.

He sets up the  character’s mother in a new flat.

TV, an indoor toilet, all the mod cons; and makes sure the character in question knows that his mother has her dutiful son to thank.

Salaam makes it very clear what’ll happen, if the job offer isn’t taken up …

My first thought was “Ooh, NASTY!”.

My second was of a Terry Pratchett character, called Lord Havelock Vetinari, who is the ruler of the Disc’s largest city state.

And much like a benevolent version of the Doges of Venice, Nicolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia.   

Cunning, in other words.

What got me thinking that way, was part of Vetinari’s backstory.

When he took over as ruler, he legalised the various thieves guilds, and cut down crime overnight.   

Then got all the crime guild leaders together to gently remind them that he knew where they lived.

Where their children went to school.

Where their wives had their hair done …

Now, as Adrian pointed out, this scene could well be put down to the film’s highlighting  Western cultural values are very different to Arabic ones.

Scott shows us by contrasting Strong’s character with Russell Crowe’s; DiCaprio’s boss, Ed Hoffman, who I found reminiscent of  certain former US president.

Which it does, and quite nicely, too.

But I’d’ve not necessarily watched it, just by going by the box …

If I’d seen that clip, though …