Recommended Reading

[blankers]

No John le Carre recommendations? That makes me sad. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is one of my favorites.

[Matthew Rorie]

I've always liked Greg Rucka's Queen and Country books/comics.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Hmm, I've recently been turned on to a TV series called "The Unit," which is actually pretty spy despite being about a special forces team. I have to cringe my way through the housewife subplots most of the time, but otherwise an awesome show. If you liked the movie "Redbelt," The Unit is written/directed by the same guy.

[Alvin Nelson]

Hmm, I've recently been turned on to a TV series called "The Unit," which is actually pretty spy despite being about a special forces team. I have to cringe my way through the housewife subplots most of the time, but otherwise an awesome show. If you liked the movie "Redbelt," The Unit is written/directed by the same guy.

 

The Unit=Good Show.

[simulacra]

I wish AP would take alot of notes from Body of Lies, alas, the devs decided agaisnt it and felt that we dont have enough dual-gun-wielding-slow-motion-super-ability-action games

[Pidesco]

I wish AP would take alot of notes from Body of Lies, alas, the devs decided agaisnt it and felt that we dont have enough dual-gun-wielding-slow-motion-super-ability-action games

 

 

Perhaps, but what we don't have enough of are dual-gun-wielding-slow-motion-super-ability-action RPGs.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

There aren't all that many CRPGs, so you could pretty much substitute that statement with anything other than medieval fantasy.

[Tigranes]

Body of Lies was terribly flat, in any case, apart from the character of that Arab fellow. I'd hope AP goes a bit deeper than that.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Flat?

[sayfolsom]

Hmm, I've recently been turned on to a TV series called "The Unit," which is actually pretty spy despite being about a special forces team. I have to cringe my way through the housewife subplots most of the time, but otherwise an awesome show. If you liked the movie "Redbelt," The Unit is written/directed by the same guy.

 

red belt was pretty sweet, but you're right about the unit. ok spy parts, totally retarded wife subplot parts.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

"Traitor" with Don Cheadle is pretty cool. It pulled more punches than I expected, but still brutal by movie standards.

[Tigranes]

Flat?

 

Flat. Bland. Forgettable. Underdeveloped.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Flat?

 

Flat. Bland. Forgettable. Underdeveloped.

 

Well, since you opted not to elaborate, suffice to say I strongly disagree.

[Moatilliatta]

I'd agree wth Tiggy if he is saying that it was uninteresting thematically, as it was. Body of Lies is an extremely well made movie and it will drag you along if you aren't kicking and screaming.

 

Then it'll punch you in the gut, whith you begging for more tough love.

 

All the weak ACTIOUN!!!11! movie directors could learn a lot from sir Scott.

[Pop]

Ridley Scott's last few pictures, particularly American Gangster, have had pacing problems. They're meticulous when they should be roaring.

[Moatilliatta]

Then we disagree or I didn't see it and neither did anyone I know.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Ridley Scott's last few pictures, particularly American Gangster, have had pacing problems. They're meticulous when they should be roaring.

 

Are they genuine pacing problems? Or are the movies just not trying to be Gladiator?

 

I agree with you in a sense, but for reasons I myself acknowledge are shallow. American Gangster and Body of Lies are pretty sparing on the action sequences, and they tend to be loaded at one section of the movie.

 

The thing is, Ridley is, IMO, good enough at maintaining intensity with character interaction that I'm almost willing to let the paucity of shootings and stabbings slide. After all, there's a (shrinking) whole genre of drama films in which action does not punctuate plot points (or even exist). What is explosion-short for a thinking action movie is actually pretty exciting by the standards of the more talky genres. Is there a place commercially and critically for movies that fall between the two extremes? If you ask me, probably yes.

[Joseph Bulock]

Ridley Scott's last few pictures, particularly American Gangster, have had pacing problems. They're meticulous when they should be roaring.

 

I'm going to agree with this. There were moments of brilliance in both of these films, but American Gangster really fell apart at the end and Body of Lies had fantastic action sequences and some great espionage drama, along with some sequences that could have been trimmed out completely.

[Tigranes]

Fine, I'll elaborate.

 

I will agree that it was a relatively well made movie. I don't mind, in fact, I prefer, the paucity of akshun, and I don't think it was too boring at any point.

 

I said flat, etc. because while there was great potential to explore the situation in a mature and insightful manner with the interactions with the Arab leader (sorry, it's been a while), the main character and the American boss, it had to be interspersed with a bland run-of-the-mill Hollywood romance, and I felt it was quite contrived to have Matt Damon (right?) be captured just like that just so the point about the Arab leader could be made.

 

I did like the bit where he doesn't believe Damon, or Damon reveals his deception is screwed for it. But I wish they went all out on exploring that as opposed to touching base with shallow, formulaic romances, "Oh I don't want to do this anymore" and such.

[Moatilliatta]

...and I felt it was quite contrived to have Matt Damon (right?) be captured just like that just so the point about the Arab leader could be made.

Leonardo's acting wasn't that bland.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Moatilliatta

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

it had to be interspersed with a bland run-of-the-mill Hollywood romance

 

Did you pay *really* close attention at the end of the movie?

[Moatilliatta]

The end was left ambiguous if I remember correctly. I wouldn't call it hollywood romance though.

[Tigranes]

Did you pay *really* close attention at the end of the movie?

 

What did I miss? I watched carefully at the time, but that was during weeks of frenzied activity that has since driven the details out of my brain.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Did you pay *really* close attention at the end of the movie?

 

What did I miss? I watched carefully at the time, but that was during weeks of frenzied activity that has since driven the details out of my brain.

 

Others' mileage may vary, but my reading is that the love interest was an agent. Crowe says something about how everybody's motives are suspect and then the camera comes to rest on the chick. So, really, I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling so much as the suspicion that Leo's character got screwed over in yet another way.

 

Optimists may suggest that they live happily ever after anyway, but that's not the point IMO, and the movie seems to agree since that's where it ends.

[Moatilliatta]

I think the "Nobody is innocent" part had more to do with Leonardo and his relation to the girl. His relation to the girl was selfish considering the kind of risk he puts her in and that part was meant as an attack, unless of course I read it wrong.