Leonardo DiCaprio And Ridley Scott Conspire For A Hit Movie - About Iraq

SUFFICE IT to say that Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott agree to disagree about certain principles of the Geneva Conventions.

"If I'm going to get down to brass tacks, there's no rules," Scott exclaimed, sitting on the sun-drenched deck of his West Hollywood production company. He was speaking hypothetically about his willingness to use torture to extract information from a suspected terrorist -- a pivotal plot point in the knighted British director's political thriller "Body of Lies." The film, starring DiCaprio and Russell Crowe as CIA operatives out to smash terror cells in the Middle East, reaches theaters Oct. 10.

"If I want to get the information out of somebody, I have to do it," Scott continued. "And it makes it a lot easier if that person put a bomb in a square or blew up a bunch of kids. I'd definitely take a cricket bat to him." He glanced over at DiCaprio for confirmation. "Right?"

DiCaprio clamped his lips together, averted eye contact and almost imperceptibly shook his head no. Awkward moment, anyone? The hard-charging director suddenly reversed course. "Never let me be the head of any counter-terrorist organization," Scott said, chuckling.

Adapted by William Monahan, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "The Departed," from Washington Post columnist David Ignatius' intricately plotted espionage novel of the same name, "Body of Lies" presents the most stinging screen portrayal of American foreign policy by any Hollywood studio movie in recent memory. DiCaprio portrays Roger Ferris, an idealistic field agent operating out of Iraq and Jordan who resorts to elaborate subterfuge -- concocting a fictitious sleeper cell and staging a mock bombing -- to flush a terrorist mastermind out into the open.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[abouttime]

According to the LA Times Review "Body of Lies" is a film about "American political skullduggery and corruption."
DiCaprio wants to the viewers to the reality of US atrocities that many Americans rationalize, ignore deny.

"To make a highly intelligent film with today's politics: That was the objective," DiCaprio said. "This movie could -- not necessarily say something about the state of the world, but -- take grasp of where we are in history right now."

He adds: "But whether ['Body of Lies'] was going to be commercial or not was never a factor. It's the opportunity that we get to make this movie. You feel lucky to get to do it. The audience can get involved while simultaneously getting insight into what the United States is doing in the Middle East."

I for one can hardly wait to see "Body of Lies."

[Agentlady007]

Leo is a good actor - a good person.

[DerekRC]

Great. Another America-is-evil film by the likely suspects. That will sell well. When Hollywood and Democrats figure out that Americans actually like Americans, then they can do something that might sit well with American's palettes.

Hate-America only sells well in San Francisco, and with MSNBC reporters.

War movies that do well don't have a repulsive political agenda behind them.

[jetbanana]

Oh, I'll be sure to vote for Obama, especially so that we won't have send our young women and men abroad to fight when we will be able to fight the terrorists right here at home. Saves a lot of money and energy and that's the green thing to do, right Leo?

[trollsbwild]

Clueless. Are you saying that W used our military might in an efficient and intelligent manner?

I'm so F'ing sick of the straw man arguments from your ilk. Man up to the fact that this WH and neocon policy has been an abject failure. JM's solution to EVERYTHING is to bomb it. It is going to take BRAINS as well as brawn to fight terrorism well.

[TroubleNYC]

"...especially so that we won't have send our young women and men abroad to fight when we will be able to fight the terrorists right here at home."

That's so 2004. At least you guys like to recycle.

[wayoutleft]

it doesn't matter that people react to iraq tv drama and films like they react to poisonous snakes. no matter how repelled the public is by them, they will be made- and fail- as often as toothpaste commercials, no matter how abysmal the box office, no matter how long the endless string of failures. somebody's getting usia money under the table. it's always available.

[UnbiasView]

Sorry to say, but the movies about how America is bad aren't hits . . . how have those Iraq films been doing over the past 5 years? All big busts.

[rzan]

I will see Leo DiCaprio in anything. With him in it, it will do well at the box office.

[TimmySlagle]

"With him in it, it will do well at the box office"

Really?

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=11thhour.htm

[TimmySlagle]

PARKING for Leo?

What about the environment?

You mean he doesn't ride a bike to work?

[marymansour]

DiCaprio's movie, Blood Diamond, was a hard hitting film about the abuse and trade of diamonds in Africa. If his Iraqi movie hits as hard on the Iraqi message, it should be powerful.

[IslandGyal]

People PLEASE register to vote before October 3rd. If possible request an absentee ballot and vote EARLY. I am not taking any chances with the republican this year; they like to disenfranchise voters, especially minorities.

So, if you don't have to deal with them on November 4th do NOT!

In Maryland you can request an absentee ballot. The deadline is October 28. PLEASE, vote and vote early!

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2007_English_InternetVRA.pdf

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2008_Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf

[rzan]

They are already starting to disenfranchise voters. In Florida alone, 80,000 new registered voters were rejected as valid, most of them African Americans. Students are being threatened in Virginia regarding residency and a threat to take away their scholarships. These are only two examples.

[kylie]

The movie sounds promising and want to see something bold and truthful about the awful mess Bush and his supporter McCain made in initiating the war in the first place.

Real numbers, incidents instead of what the msm claims to be facts.