Roger Ferris, played by Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another, Catch Me If You Can), is a CIA operative working on the ground in the Middle East, attempting to track down Al-Saleem, the mastermind behind a series of terrorist bombings across Europe. Ferris’s immediate supervisor is Ed Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe (Nuremberg), a cynical, armchair-bound CIA chief who manages operations via satellite link and earbud from the comfort of his suburban American life, dropping kids off at school while casually greenlighting high-stakes tactical strikes!
To penetrate Al-Saleem’s elusive, low-tech network - which deliberately avoids digital communications to bypass American surveillance - Ferris must form a fragile alliance with Hani Salaam, played by Mark Strong (The Captor/Stockholm, 6 Days), the suave and impeccably-dressed head of Jordanian Intelligence. Salaam operates on a strict moral code: total honesty and absolute control. However, Hoffman’s constant interference behind Ferris’s back threatens to destroy the operation. Amidst the chaos and deception, Ferris develops a connection with Aisha, played by the lovely and talented Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson, About Elly), a compassionate Iranian nurse who happens to treat him in Amman for an injury, adding a personal touch to the story (and actually one which ends up switching the bold and in-control Ferris into something more human)!
The film shows us a very interesting snapshot of mid-2000s military tech, contrasting drone feeds and encrypted satellite comms with the low-tech counter-tactics of terrorists operating entirely offgrid - and being stuck with Nokia 'dumbphones' to communicate with! It offers an interesting commentary on modern warfare (for the day) - Russell Crowe’s Hoffman barking ruthless orders into a headset while pushing a baby stroller in Washington, while Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ferris gets his hands dirty in the dust, violence and chaos on the ground.
There's a great ensemble cast here. DiCaprio turns in a great performance as a man constantly caught in the crossfire of competing agendas. Crowe is almost comically insufferable as the detached, manipulative bureaucrat. However, it is Mark Strong who effortlessly steals every scene he is in as Hani Salaam - portraying a quiet, lethal authority with impeccable style. Golshifteh Farahani brings a much-needed warmth and nuance to the story as Aisha, offering a human contrast to the cynical stuff going on around her - and she even introduces some more comic moments as she takes Ferris to dinner at her sister's house!
Because it leaps about all over the place, it doesn't help the viewer to keep up really. The threads of the plot and who's who can feel a bit tangled on a single viewing, but the super direction, brutal action stuff here and there and great performances keep it engaging from start to finish. Despite the 'old' tech, it really doesn't feel that 'dated' and is certainly an edge-of-the-seat thriller from start to finish. Consequently, the two hours and 8-minute runtime simply flew!
A bit of background research also brings out a few interesting elements. The satellite surveillance sequences were rendered with high visual authenticity. Ridley Scott worked closely with advisors to portray CIA drone feeds and tracking software as accurately as possible for the era. While the story spans Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Dubai, much of the Middle Eastern footage was actually shot on location in Morocco, taking advantage of its varied urban backdrop and established film infrastructure.
The film was shot in around 65 days, moving at a relentless pace that mirrors the frantic energy on screen(!) and Russell Crowe gained about 4 stone in weight for his role in order to reflect the sedentary, middle-aged bureaucrat who spends his days eating fast food and managing covert strikes from an office chair or family car.
Apparently DiCaprio did many of his own stunts, including a brutal interrogation and explosion sequences - even suffering minor injuries - and then there's Golshifteh again, who became the first Iranian actor living in Iran to star in a major Hollywood production since 1979. Her appearance in the film created significant political backlash at home, ultimately leading to her relocating to France. I was only really in it for her, as usual!
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