Sure, it’s got enough starpower so the poor story choice goes unnoticed.

But it’s just another movie about the Middle East through the watchful eyes of the US.

The film, directed by Ridley Scott, follows CIA agent Roger Ferris (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) into the middle of hot zones, while not knowing who to trust or turn to.

Ferris moves through the Middle East, on his quest to find Islamist leader Al-Saleem, and grows fond of a nurse in Jordan – who he meets after being attacked by a disease-ridden pack of dogs.

The storyline is clever and juxtaposes Ferris’ cat-and-mouse lifestyle with that of his senior agent, Ed Hoffman (played by Russell Crowe), who’s constantly attached to an earpiece while carrying out his domestic duties.

Hoffman is quite removed from the scene in the Middle East and approaches the onground intelligence experts with far less diplomacy than that of Ferris, whom they trust.

DiCaprio plays this type of character well. He’s firm but polite, and genuine overall.

Crowe, who put on quite a bit of weight for the role, brings a human side to the role and has the Virginian accent down pat.

The same cannot be said for Australian actor Vince Colosimo (of Aussie series Underbelly), who plays the small role of an agent under Ferris’ command, Skip.

Unfortunately, he cannot keep his Aussie accent from seeping through his lines.

It was a choice role for Colosimo to show American audiences his talent but his inability to master the few lines he had with a credible accent may not give him the

positive exposure he may have hoped for.

The film has some incredible cinematography and good performances but is let down by a stagnant plot and a not very exciting subject matter.

Let’s face it, how many more sides to the war in the Middle East and the surrounding conspiracies can one take?