Body Of Lies: The Movie, The IRS...
This was my first trip to the video store in several months. We have Direct TV. Even though we have chosen not to opt for the additional movie channels, we can always find a film to watch. For instance, I've now watched Roadhouse 14 times. It is a horrible movie that I really enjoy, akin to a similar fascination with CSI Miami. Along the same lines I catch all the reruns of the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, and it seems the extremely irritating Sigourney Weaver is always available, somewhere. With the abundance of movies available with simply a click of the remote, it would seem the video store industry would be struggling. While I was there on a Tuesday evening, only myself a two other customers were roaming the brightly lit aisles. Like me, they had before themselves an endless array of movies, and yet could not find anything suitable to watch. Usually I will roam the store for at least an hour before reluctantly making a selection. And this was how I ended up with Body Of Lies. I strongly considered Roadhouse- The Uncut Version.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio. He seems to have made a nice transition from heartthrob to serious actor. Russell Crowe portrays this weird stay-at-home dad who also manages the War on Terror by remote video feed, and as I come to dislike his greasy character I also realize how incredulous is the premise. The torture scenes are particularly riveting. Do we really, in the name of Democracy, break knees with sledge hammers and sever fingers? Leonardo had his fingers smashed with a hammer. It was all very realistic and gruesome. Strangely, it made me crave a soft chocolate mint, the kind you can squeeze to see white creamy filling come oozing out. That's strange, isn't it?
I watch movies for two reasons. Foremost is pure, shallow escapism. Entertainment. But I also realize that a good film can make an important statement, just like a good book. And I am fairly sure such was the intention of Body Of Lies. It did not have much of a chance with me, last night. It was wide-screen format, which means the display was even smaller than usual on my television. A movie can project a much better message when viewed from its intended format of a large screen. Also, I get the idea there has been a good bit of editing and redacting with this movie. It just seems to jump around too much.
Rent it at Blockbuster. My daughter's boyfriend works at the store on Pleasant Hill Road. They sure need the business.
