Body of Lies (2008)

Russell Crowe runs a spy war by phone from the suburbs, usually while doing dad errands, and it’s the best joke in a movie that rarely tells any. Body of Lies is a busy, gray thriller that keeps cutting between satellite views and dusty streets without finding a pulse. Leonardo DiCaprio works hard as Ferris, a field officer who knows the region, but the script mostly needs him in the wrong place at the wrong time. A romance with a nurse, Aisha, played with warmth by Golshifteh Farahani, is sweet and barely sketched. The plot twists through fake identities and double crosses until you stop tracking who’s lying to whom. Then there’s Mark Strong. As Hani Salaam, Jordan’s spy chief, he’s calm, polite and completely in control, and he wins every scene. It made $115.9 million worldwide on a reported $67.5 to $70 million. A 5.6 because Strong is magnetic and the rest is a long phone call. $792 says you take a work call during family dinner this week and get side-eyed by everyone at the table.

What works: Mark Strong is magnetic as Hani, and Russell Crowe’s distracted, phone-glued boss is darkly funny.

What doesn’t: The plot drowns in fake identities and double crosses, and the romance with Aisha is too thin to carry the stakes it’s given.

Who it’s for: Spy thriller fans who like their missions murky and enjoy watching smart people outmaneuver each other.