CIA Operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is working in the field in the Middle East to bring an active terrorist to justice. Ferris enlists the help of the head of the Jordan government for this dangerous job all while Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) manages from Virginia. Based on a novel by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, this film has your attention from the moment it starts and never loses it. Ferris is an intelligent, multi-lingual, and accomplished agent that can quickly gain his ally's trust. While meeting with Hani Salaam (head of Jordan), Hani requires one thing of Ferris, "Never lie to me." This becomes a theme and a motive throughout the movie. Hani commands respect of everyone surrounding him and Ferris needs to earn his respect by running a well organized operation and bringing their man to justice. As Hoffman "micromanages" Ferris and Hani's plan from Virginia and it seems the mission is compromised and Hani's trust betrayed, Hoffman makes a visit to Jordan. When a new plan devises, the movie takes a different turn, but keeps the same theme, and your undivided attention.

Think Spy Game meets Blood Diamond. This film captures both the heavy plot and the intense action that you might expect to find in any spy movie and all action films. Lies is an intricate game of surveillance, setups, takedowns, culture clash, betrayals, lies, and surprises. Crowe and DiCaprio play wonderfully together, having the teacher-student relationship down pat but also throwing in some comic relief without being funny (read cheesy). Having such a long list of films under his belt, you think that Director Ridley Scott might have issues with redundancy, but Lies is one for the books. Maybe what helps the drama of this movie is the fact that terrorist acts are happening right now in our world. We are fighting a war on terrorism, with men and women like Ferris and Hoffman fighting abroad and domestically. There are some scenes that are literally hard to watch since we have seen such horrific acts in real life. Maybe that's why this movie hits home. Or maybe it's just a great movie. Watch the trailer here: