Lies, indeed.

You'd think that a movie about the Middle Eastern conflict directed by Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner") and teaming Russell Crowe with Leonardo DiCaprio would have substance, style and dynamic acting. But "Body of Lies" has nothing to say about geopolitics, the action scenes are formulaic, and DiCaprio is rarely on the screen with Crowe, who coasts through the most puzzling performance of his career.

Both Crowe and DiCaprio play CIA agents hunting a terrorist mastermind who has declared war on the West. But while Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) is roughing it undercover in Iraq, Ed Hoffman (Crowe) is home in Virginia, ordering airstrikes through his ubiquitous ear piece while driving his kids to soccer practice. With his beer belly, brush cut and bad Southern accent, Crowe seems to be acting in a dark comedy. His trigger-happy character is such a blustering bubba, it sets us up for a plot twist that never comes.

Instead of either justifying or satirizing the Iraq war, the movie merely shrugs it off and detours to Jordan, where Ferris is reassigned. He is teamed with the head of Jordanian intelligence, a courtly torturer named Hani (scene stealer Mark Strong, who looks and acts uncannily like Andy Garcia).

Because Ferris speaks Arabic, Hani trusts him more than he does Hoffman, who periodically intrudes on the elaborate manhunt via the eye in the sky or unannounced visits.

One of Hoffman's intrusions lands Ferris in the hospital, where his nurse (Golshifteh Farahani) just happens to be a beautiful Iraqi refugee who speaks perfect English. So you can bet that the fate of their budding relationship will loom larger than the fate of several nations.

Indeed, this movie that's ostensibly about the Middle East never shows us any civilian casualties of war or terrorism. And nobody mentions oil.

But even if "Body of Lies" is trying to be an apolitical popcorn flick, it fails. There's little excitement in commando strikes that rely on all-seeing satellites. And after the crooked "Bourne" and "Syriana" cards are dealt, screenwriter William Monahan reprises one of his scenes from "The Departed," as DiCaprio's character gets his hand mangled by a sadistic inquisitor.

DiCaprio's become adept at this sort of role, and there are so many other pros on the crew that the movie can't help but be workmanlike. But it doesn't have an honest bone in its body.

joewilliams@post-dispatch.com — 314-340-8344

R — 2:09 — Contains violence, including scenes of torture, and strong language throughout

2 stars out of 4