Customer Reviews

Traitor [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Jeffrey Nachmanoff's "Traitor" is a tense, well-paced thriller that keeps us on the edge of our seat, at the same time aiming for our most visceral and human emotions. It challenges us to consider the border between political and religious extremism and sincere, deeply held patriotism and faith. I was a little surprised that Kennedy Center Honoree Steve Martin, better known for Wild and Crazy comedy, wrote the story Nachmanoff adapted into a taut screenplay.

Don Cheadle should receive an Oscar nomination in the lead role of Samir Horn. Samir is not a one-dimensional character and Cheadle embodies him with a focused yet larger than life performance.

In the opening scene we see a young Samir in Sudan, in a room praying with his devout Muslim father. Then something happens that we have no trouble understanding colors Samirs thoughts and beliefs and motivations for the rest of his life.

We see Samir in modern times dealing sophisticated explosives to an Islamic terrorist group in Yemen. Government agents burst in on the deal, taking Samir and the terrorists into custody. It is implied in Yemen this involves frequent beatings and long imprisonment.

We are introduced to a pair of FBI agents. Max, the hot-headed one is played by Neal McDonough. The thoughtful one, Roy Clayton, is played by Guy Pearce, who grew up in Australia but once again immerses himself in the role of an American so well I had no difficulty believing Roy is the son of a Southern Baptist Minister. (I'm the son of a Roy and a Southern Baptist myself.) Roy is the second most important character in the film. He became interested in Arabic culture in college, and now works for the FBI combating terrorism. Astute and perceptive, he understands that Samir has a sincere muslim belief and is not simply interested in blowing up all things not muslim.

We find later that Samir is deeper still. Jeff Daniels plays Carter, a U.S. Intelligence officer, the only person alive who knows that Samir is a double agent sent to infiltrate a secret Islamic terrorist organization.

Much of the suspense in the film is generated because Carter (and by extension the audience) doesn't know if Samir has "gone to the other side".

Said Taghmaoui plays Omar, a member of the secret terrorist group who brings Samir into the fold, and in another fine wrinkle of the textured screenplay, we get to see many shades of gray even among the terrorists.

The film asks difficult questions and does not imply that there are easy - or any - answers. If you have the most sincere patriotism or faith, how many innocent people can you kill in the name of your country or faith? Fanatics may answer "however many it takes", but Samir and Roy both have doubts, and you believe that their personal faith informs their decisions.

This is a thoughtful thriller and if you're interested in such things - you should see it. The Lord bless and keep you: As-Salamu `Alaikum.

"Traitor" tries to plow through the viewers' assumed ignorance or lack of understanding when it comes to Islamic terrorists and suggest a more nuanced explanations of motives beyond the simplistic "they want to kill us all" or "unless we don't fight them there will have to fight them here" or "they are going to follow us home and do unspeakable things to our defenseless families". Clearly, we have a much better understanding of terrorists movements such as the nationalist IRA or the various past and present Marxist or Maoist Red Army Brigades than we do of today's super-radical and super-desperate Islamic suiciders. It's difficult to 'get' what motivates young men and women, often well educated and sometimes coming from affluent families to blow themselves up for the dubious (at least to us) reward of taking 'some of us' with them in the process and the few no longer front page newspaper headlines and Tweets. What makes "Traitor" troubling is not its largely successful attempt to show us that there's a lot more than the promise of 72 virgins in Heaven that recruits 'suiciders' but its inability to go beyond hinting at what that might be - to borrow a famous line from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'... Anyone? Anyone? The possible explanations provided by dedicated terrorist Omar - who attended finishing school in Switzerland - that tend to come down to 'they killed many of us so we should kill many of them' may be part of the motive, especially when a family member was tortured or imprisoned or lost but individual revenge can't account for a movement and a cause.

With the understanding that "Traitor" is maybe a baby step forward toward an open discussion of what makes 'them' hate 'us' so much and how can 'we' justify us voluntarily surrender so quickly our personal and civil liberties when facing a relatively small threat and in exchange for some largely illusory 'security', it is a tense, generally well acted movie. It's not clear what made Samir, a native of Sudan, join the US Army Special Forces - we see his father dying inside an exploding car but from that to an elite US Army career and then deep cover agent - before or maybe after having fought side by side with the Afghan freedom fighters (now known to us as terrorists) against Russian invaders? Omar, Samir's Islamic Brotherhood terrorist best friend meets him in a Yemeni prison and it's not clear how he ended up there either after completing finishing school in Switzerland. We do hear from Omar that he resents 'the West' for killing and humiliating his brothers and sisters but... from Switzerland to Yemen? Yemen is one of the least likely place to find Westerner targets. The US government agents, especially the FBI, get a more realistic treatment - arrogant, brutal, unable and unwilling to comprehend or adjust to an unfamiliar reality, all too willing to forget about the niceties of actually following our laws when the opportunity to brutalize a US citizen abroad presents itself, sloganeering when there's a need to defend or explain less then honorable activities.

As far as the plot goes, it's the expected spy thriller action movie. People are not always who they say they are, there's a lot of deception, a reasonable body count and, in the end, even though 'our side' seems to get the better of it, poor Samir is left trying to figure out for himself if whatever he did was right or even necessary while under intense bombardment from slogans and clichés thrown at him by Special Agent Roy Clayton.

"Traitor" is not easy to watch. Even hinting at what might be "the other side's" views and motivations tends to make us uncomfortable and, while not really coming close to touching the root causes and motivations for today's Islamic terrorism, it comes close enough to make watching difficult. Sadly, because it only hints at possible causes and motives without fully exposing them, most viewers discussions about what they just watched aren't likely to deviate from the standard, often repeated, short, simplistic, depressing sound bites fed to us by big and loud talking heads that our valuable mass media likes to squeeze between male enhancer pills and diet plan or abs commercials.

Since I watched "Traitor" on a Blu-ray disc, it's probably worth noting that there's little in the image where the Blu would offer a significant advantage over a DVD. The dark subject is appropriately painted on the screen with dark shades of brown, gray and yellow and the viewer attention is likely to focus more on the plot and characters interactions than on the largely non-existent vistas. The same can be said about sound - Dolby TrueHD - it's adequate but this story does not call for tremendous surround sound performances. Explosions, even when they happen, are integrated into the context of the story. The Blu-ray package comes with a second digital copy disk which is quite appropriate because watching the movie on a computer screen should be as good an experience as watching it on a home theater.

I hesitate to recommend "Traitor" as an outright purchase even though the current Blu low price (8.99) should make it tempting. I did buy my copy and I am probably going to keep it. However, if in doubt, you're probably better off renting it and HD vs. DVD resolution won't make a big difference.

The tagline for the '08 film `Traitor' is "The truth is complicated". After viewing the movie I can only compliment the filmmakers for picking such a wise and appropriate phrase to encapsulate what unfolds before its audience. The occidental mind has yet to come to grips with an Islamic mindset that encourages its most fanatical followers to strap explosives to their bodies and detonate themselves in crowded buildings, transportation centers or any high traffic venue that will best unsettle the security of its adversaries. It is "terrorism as theatre" and all the world is its stage.

In `Traitor' Don Cheadle delivers a marvelous performance as Samir a Islamic, Sudanese born American immigrant who after spending years in U.S. military intelligence apparently has a change of conscience and joins an extreme terrorist organization after being recruited by Jihadist and future best friend Omar (Said Taghmaoui). Said is also magnificent, the on-going conversations between Omar and Samir discussing the Jihadist mindset and mission and how they compare with past and present acts of aggression by America are searing, thought-provoking and nuanced. For me they make this movie worth the time and effort. That's not to say that there isn't anything else worthwhile in this film, but it is there relationship and intellectual debate that raises the film to a higher level.

As for the rest of the film, well this isn't one of your typical fast paced action films. The storyline unfolds rather slowly, too slowly at times. But it does build momentum about halfway through will firmly hold your interest to the end. `Traitor' offers the viewer great performances, intellectual stimulation and political relevance. There is in my opinion two flaws that keep the film from receiving a -5 Star- rating. The `Big Moment' at the end is rather unrealistic for reasons I can't discuss without spoiling the surprise and secondly, the ultimate decision made by Samir was a little too black and white for a storyline focused on exploring the gray areas of faith, conscience and choosing sides.

Footnote: Guy Pearce also delivers a stellar performance as the FBI agent pursuing Samir.

A good movie that makes you think, as other reviewers have indicated. From the beginning I was drawn to trying to figure out Cheadle's character (Samir Horn - the main character) - a devout Muslim clouded in ambiguity. In one of the first scenes, we observe him as a boy in Yemen witnessing his Sudanese father's murder via a terrorist attack - then we quickly jump to the present where for the first chunk of the film Horn is seemingly drawn into the terrorists' world and planning/executing major attacks on civilians. During this time we also find out that Horn's mom is American, and that Horn is a veteran of the U.S. Special Armed Forces, as well as witness flashes of his character, which is grounded in his Muslim beliefs - i.e. his concern for other, belief in non-violence/murder. While being drawn in by the depth of his character, you start to wonder if you're being made to sympathize for a terrorist - perhaps this is the statement of the movie. Just before this happens however, clues begin to appear about Horn's true intentions - though up until the end of the movie you are kept to wonder how it will all "work out".

Even after discovering how Horn fits into this whole mess, the ambiguity of his character remains; one divided between loyalties to his faith, his country, and to the greater good. For example, his faith is against murder - yet for Horn to accomplish his "mission" he has to keep pushing deeper and deeper into a terrorist network, even as more innocent people are murdered or threatened during the course of his actions. In doing so, he seems to be going for the greater good - but having trouble fitting that into his faith's ideological framework. All the while his country looms in the background - partly on his side, partly the enemy.

Other points I liked about the movie - I thought it did a good job of portraying aspects of the true Muslim faith - and showing a division between this and the "extremists" who claim the same faith. To some degree - and I hesitate to say this - it also showed aspects of the other side by humanizing parts of the "terrorists" - such as the Omar character. Yes - terrorism is terrible - but I think its needs to be understood that these individuals do not just sprout out from Satan, but are drawn into what they do by complex factors that - the more we understand the more we can move closer to ridding our world of such actions/murder.

This film is a suspenseful drama that looks into the world of espionage and the so-called war on terror with the view as advertised on the DVD jacket "the truth is complicated." Cheadle plays a Sudanese born US Army vet trained in explosives who is seemingly working with Islamic terrorists... though who he is actually working with is not as it seems - even to himself. There's a message in this film that the ends don't justify the means, and the characters are led to question whether it's right or just to kill for a cause just because you believe you are the good guys. Cheadle does an excellent job playing this troubled character, while Guy Pearce is the FBI agent who is pursuing him. One interesting thing depicted in the film is how intelligence operations are complex and that terror groups are often being steered by government agents/informants, who in some cases lead what can be considered false flag terror - and the public reports about the events are based on disinfo created by government intelligence operatives. This film encourages us to look deeper at what's going on and question anyone who believes they are killing or sacrificing lives for a god-sanctioned agenda. The only weakness I found in the film was that there are a few loose ends in the film that don't get explained... but that's like real life where we can't find out everything.

Traitor is a well-done film about terrorism and international espionage. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce star. Pearce plays an FBI agent while Cheadle apparently plays a member of a Middle Eastern terrorist sect. On the other hand, he also gives hints of being a spy for US Intelligence operating way under cover. This dichotomy is one of the strong points of the film. Cheadle joins in efforts to bomb the US Embassy in Nice, France and follows that by being a member of the operatives planning to bomb 50 buses on Thanksgiving Day in the US.

Cheadle's character is Samir Horn. Born in the Sudan, he sees his father killed by a car bomb. He goes on to be educated in the US, joins the US military, serves in Afghanistan, and then appears to join the side of the terrorists. He is a devout Muslim, and Cheadle does an extremely good job of depicting Horn as being torn between doing what he must to work his way to the leaders of the terrorist movement while at the same time following his true belief in the teachings of the Koran.

The film has excellent action scenes, and both Cheadle and Pearce do fine jobs in their performances. The characters move to various areas of the world, so the film has a good look to it. The Special Features included with the DVD don't amount to much. One short deals with the stunts and special effects while the second feature shows the film's exotic locations. I did not listen to the audio commentaries by Don Cheadle and Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff.

I just finished watching Traitor and it was so good that I wish I had gone to see it while it was in theaters. Don Cheadle's performance is simply outstanding and he does a fantastic job of crafting a character that you can both empathize and sympathize during the film. Guy Pearce gave a sub-par performance in my opinion because I just didn't care about any words that came out of his mouth in this movie ... which isn't normal for this actor.

If any actor really surprised me in this movie it was Jeff Daniels. I actually thought Daniels did a fantastic job and I found myself paying more attention to the movie when his character was on screen. I say this "surprised me" because I am not a fan of Jeff Daniels in serious roles. I have a hard time seeing Daniels in serious movies after his role in Dumb & Dumber but he actually did a phenomenal job in this film.

After the movie was over I kept asking myself why this wasn't a bigger hit at the box office. The only reason I can come up with is that this movie suffers from "bad timing." This movie is all about international conspiracies, crooked governments, and the protagonist can be considered a "terrorist." After 8 years of the Bush administration this fictional movie probably reminds audiences too much of reality. It's been hard enough for Americans to sort out what is right and wrong over the last 8 years, and this movie makes you question that even more.

Bottom line, this is a great movie and both Cheadle and Daniels probably deserve Oscars ... or at least deserve to be nominated.

Don Cheatle has always chosen interesting roles that hold great potential for social and human commentary. This is certainly no exception. His performance here was magnificent.

Being an American born convert to Islam, I am familiar with the conflicting feelings a Muslim has to face. ironically, the answers are simple. But implementing them in our daily life is never simple. "Traitor" shows this perfectly.

Cheatle's character illustrates this perfectly. From his childhood, he was exposed to political violence. Yet at heart, all he was interested in was living as a pious Muslim. Which brings us to the crux of the matter; politics. When a social structure arises that is based on ANY ideology, inevitably, a point will come when those in leadership positions will have to chose between adhering to their ideological principles at the expense of their political power, or "adjusting" their principles for the sake of political and / or economic expediency. All too often, human beings make a very poor choice in this. The whole of human history will provide an excellent model to study this phenomenon.

So, getting back to the movie, we are left with a great many open questions, or so it would seem. Was Cheatle's character the traitor, or did he truly adhere to the principles of Islam and chose the lesser of many evils? How does one explain Fareed, who drank alcohol and ate pork with the justification that he was simply blending in: something easily avoidable (which I can personally attest to)? Did the terrorist organization that Horn worked for betray Islam by turning their religion into a political agenda, and adapt methods that have no justification in Islamic spirituality? Did FBI Agent Clayton betray (or casually abandon) his family's Christian principles - and was Horn's devout Islamic beliefs responsible for exposing him to what he'd lost, or walked away from?

There are no easy answers to this, either in art or in real life. We make choices every moment and must live with the results and consequences of these choices. Samir Horn was an object lesson in this.

Finally, I want to say that I see in this movie not a single shred of anti-Islamic or anti-American rhetoric. People who accuse "Traitor" of either of these are missing the point. There is no political agenda here; only a human agenda; the agenda of coming to terms with what's within one's heart.

This movie is a great suspense and action thriller that should have drawn more acclaim. It involves alot of insight to the Qur'an and the beliefs of legitimate muslims not to be misconstrued with terrorists. May be sensitive to some viewers because of our current war in Iraq, but will definitely increase your knowledge of how faith in any religion can drive ordinary people to commit drastic crimes.

This movie really wasn't what I thought it would be! I thought something along the lines of a spy working for the government..etc same ol stuff ya know?
But to have an American actor play a part about a Muslim Extremist that gwts so deep inside that world.. Was a complete shocker to me!

I think it's quite clear where he stands.He wants to the stop the Death.But to stop it he had to embrace it! He knew his faith wasn't about killing people but the political figures of Islam kept brain-washing their people into this thinking.Towards the end of the movie there's a line "He betrayed Allah"...talking about the leaders of the group.And I think he knew America was trying to stop it even though we're not perfect either!

Overall it's a great movie,really not what yo u think it's gonna be and great acting!

It's a great Buy!