In the everyday workplace, friction between the big boss and an assertive employee are commonplace. That friction is magnified when the boss, half a world away, is manipulative and conniving…and the consequences involve life and death.

Such is the plight of Roger Farris (Leonardo DiCaprio), a CIA operative sent to Jordan to track down a high-ranking terrorist.

In tracking down Al-Saleem’s alleged terrorist activities, Farris attempts to forge relations with the Jordanian secret service, all while seeking the assistance of his boss, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe).

As Farris follows a few leads, the secretive yet detached Hoffman, pulling strings from the CIA’s headquarters, dispatches a parallel operation that threatens the very fabric of the clandestine endeavor.

Tensions are raised and heads begin to butt harder as evidence points to Al-Saleem’s involvement in a deadly blast in Amsterdam.

Trust begins to fade and Farris devises a plan to trap Al-Saleem himself, jeopardizing not only the lives of innocent citizens and those he cares for but his own as well.

Just when all trust –- and hope -– is lost, Farris must decide what to sacrifice and who to believe in if he hopes to restore order.

A tumultuous relationship almost from the outset, Farris (from various locations in the Middle East) and Hoffman (in Washington, D.C.) exchange barbs via cell phone and satellite imagery, debating the ideal strategy to bag Al-Saleem in light of the Amsterdam attack.

On the one hand, Hoffman seeks an expedient resolution and capture with no regard to human life. “No one is innocent,” Hoffman says throughout the movie.

However, Farris presses for patience and fostering relationships, trusting his timid yet somewhat favorable relationship with Jordan’s head of secret service, Hani (Mark Strong), will eventually result in Al-Saleem’s capture before more lives are claimed.

His approach creates indirect conflict with Hoffman, whose detached nature makes Farris very uneasy and apprehensive.

Indeed, Hoffman barks instructions on his cell phone, as he paces the sidelines of his daughter’s soccer game in suburban D.C., or potty-trains his son at his home in the wee hours of the morning. All the while, Farris’s life and relationships hang in the balance as he meanders his way in and out of Amman.

Even though Al-Saleem’s operation is threatened by the American-Jordanian joint effort, a series of moral and cultural clashes threaten the very operation and create a triangle of distrust between Farris, Hoffman, and Hani.

With a gripping pace, intriguing dialogue, and a surprise love story combined with power-hungry agents and back-stabbing operatives, Body of Lies presents a world not entirely understood.

DiCaprio is rather convincing as a no-nonsense yet practical CIA field agent who values human life over political agendas. In playing Farris, he balances his mission with a sense of humanity, seeking to meet his ends through diplomatic means. Farris’s approach is understanding yet firm and confident.

Gaining 30 pounds to play Hoffman, Crowe’s performance may embody his cynical understanding of CIA veteran agents, highlighting an American-centric view of the world and a hyper-sensitive notion of patriotism.

Together, DiCaprio and Crowe’s characters provide viewers with enough tension and fireworks to make them tolerate — even understand — the political viewpoints that many will undoubtedly question and debate.

Both also add a sense of realism to the silver screen, as much of the movie was filmed on set in a variety of locations throughout the Middle East and Europe, including Amman and Morocco.

Based on the novel written by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius in 2007, Body of Lies is a gripping tale of the clash between Western powers and the Middle East, in light of America’s military involvement in Iraq and political positions in Syria and Iran.

“I don’t think it will be very popular,” Crowe recently said in an interview of the film’s examination of American government and foreign policy.

Nonetheless, under the direction of Ridley Scott and a stunning cast that includes Golshifteh Farahani, Oscar Isaac, and Simon McBurney, Body of Lies is reminiscent of political thrillers of the 1970s. Written by William Monahan, Body of Lies will definitely fill seats when it hits silver screens across the country on October 10^th –- and that’s no lie.

Body of Lies, released by Warner Bros., is rated R for language, violent sequences, and scenes of torture.

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