Twisted Little Lies

Body of Lies is a 2008 American action thriller film directed and produced by Ridley Scott, written by William Monahan, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and Golshifteh Farahani in the lead roles. The supporting cast features Mark Strong and Oscar Isaac. Set in the Middle East, it follows the attempts of the CIA and the GID of Jordan to catch terrorist Al-Saleem. Frustrated by their target's elusiveness, differences in their approaches strain relations between a CIA operative, his superior, and the head of Jordanian Intelligence. The screenplay, based on the 2007 novel by David Ignatius, examines contemporary tension between Western and Arab societies, and the comparative effectiveness of technological and human counter-intelligence methods. Principal photography for the film began on September 5, 2007, and concluded in December 2007. The film was shot largely on location in the United States and Morocco, after authorities in Dubai refused permission to film there because of the script's political themes. The film was released in the United States on October 10, 2008, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Scott's direction and visual style, as well as the performances of its two leads, but criticized his formulaic handling of the story and use of conventions from the spy genre, such as surveillance shots from high-altitude spy planes. The film grossed $119 million worldwide on a budget of $67.5–70 million.