Review: Traitor

Expatriate

I did something with this film that I normally never do with any movie: I took a chance. There was very little I knew about this film before I saw it. I had sneaked a few miscellaneous shots throughout the trailer, but nothing really grabbed me that much. The only thing I knew about the film was that it starred Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce, and had a running time of 114 minutes. In retrospect, I'm very glad that I took that chance because the end result was a welcomed surprise, something that is rarely seen in films, and especially from one that is so politically charged as this one.

The story centers around Samir Horn, played by the always wonderful Don Cheadle. Samir is a Sudan native whose father was killed by a terrorists bomb. Years later, Samir is seen as a man who prospers by selling explosive devices to neighboring terrorists. During one negotiation, he is ambushed by the police where he and a fellow terrorist, Omar (Said Taghmaoui) are hauled off to prison. During their stay, the two begin to bond and after a planned escape, they two begin to partner up for their terrorist doings.

Back at home, two FBI agents (Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough) are trying to find Samir and stop whatever terrorist threats he has been planning. However, unbeknownst to them, Samir is actually a double agent. He is secretly working with the CIA and gets frequent visits from its representative (Jeff Daniels).

Being completely unfamiliar to this film, it was a welcomed change (and shock) to see the lead character in such an antagonistic role. Because of Cheadle's great performance, Samir remains a character to follow even though he is committing terrible acts of violence. It was a chance that I thought would lead to the filmmakers doing something very different. However, I was a little sad when it was revealed so quickly that Samir was actually working with the CIA. It seems like it would have been better to push the audience's acceptance of this character all the way to the very end. Still, director Jeffrey Nachmanoff does a decent job of shooting this film, which tries to be like The Bourne Ultimatum except not as stylized and not as good. Also, the script, which was developed from a story by Nachmanoff and Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) goes into some pretty good intrigue while trailing off at some points, particularly in the third act (which is where films usually lose their footing).

As I said, Cheadle is an amazing actor. He has always made a point to attach himself to roles that do not define a genre or career. He can take dramatic risks like inde films like Crash or Hotel Rwanda, turn a comedic edge in Talk to Me or The Rat Pack, and even go all out in a big budget franchise like the Ocean's films. Cheadle is all professional, and it is probably why he is able to pull of this character. Taghmaoui was recently seen as a terrorist in this year's critical dud Vantage Point, and while he is showing some promise to American audiences, I wish he would venture beyond the scope of Arab terrorist. Pearce is good, but attempting an American accent from the South is not one of his talents, and I very much disliked the character played by McDonough. It was not his acting (even though McDonough is usually one note) but more so that his is given nearly every simple line that clarifies a point as if presented to a seven-year-old. While Jeff Daniels is a good, and very underrated actor (thanks to films like Dumb and Dumber), I would have preferred his character erased from the story all together, which would have pushed the Cheadle character being a terrorist even longer, a risk I think could have worked.

Traitor is the type of political film that paints its message in very broad strokes. The greatest evidence is probably seen in the title itself. Is Samir a traitor to the US because he is a terrorist? Is he a traitor to the terrorist for working with the US? Or are those who organize terrorist plots traitors because they betray the deeply seeded religious beliefs of Muslims? The argument presented doesn't sound like it has much thought, although the movie tries very hard to overcome that hurdle. Cheadle is the main part that makes the film work, despite some cowardice in the story. If anyone else has little to no knowledge of this film, then I would encourage them to take the same chance I did. I doubt there will be any grand disappointment. *** / ****; GRADE: B