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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Where Do His Loyalties Lie?, August 28, 2008
The movie is called "Traitor," and the implication is that the main character, played by Don Cheadle, has betrayed his own country. But it's nowhere near that simple. Some think he's a traitor to the United States while others think he's a traitor to Islam. He may be a traitor to his own beliefs, his loyalties divided between his Muslim faith and his American upbringing. By the end of the film, no one is any closer to understanding what he believes, himself least of all. He's a double agent frequently confronted by conflicting ideologies, and it's slowly but surely tearing him apart. One way this movie succeeds is that we're able to feel for this character no matter what side he's on; we can sense the anguish he feels, the torment of being a misfit in every culture he immerses himself in. We see in his face the unease and guilt he's forced to live with everyday.
Cheadle plays Samir Horn, who was born in Sudan but raised in the United States. Thirty years ago, his father was killed in a terrorist attack, although it's unclear which side was responsible; it may have been an anti-Muslim faction, but it may also have been devout Muslims who opposed his beliefs. Whatever the case, Horn is now a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant for the United States Army, someone trained to infiltrate terrorist organizations and gather information. It seems his loyalties have shifted; while in Yemen, he's caught selling detonators to a group of jihadists, and after a brief shootout, everyone is arrested. In prison, he befriends Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui), who is apparently in league with people on the outside, people willing to risk incarceration or death to free their brother Muslims. A frenetic jailbreak ensues. Not long after, Horn becomes entangled in a terrorist conspiracy, one that would result in several major attacks on American soil.
Two FBI agents have been assigned to locate and arrest Horn. One is Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce), who, interestingly enough, once considered World Religions as a college major. He claims to take his own Christian faith seriously, but unlike Horn with the Koran, we never see him reading from the Bible or quoting any of its passages. We're never told what Max Archer (Neal McDonough) believes, although it's obvious that, as far as his job is concerned, he's all about getting results as quickly as possible; in an early scene, he gets impatient with Horn and subsequently punches him in the stomach. Clayton is much more calm and collected, and he understands that you get information from a suspect by pushing his buttons, not by letting him push yours. Indeed, Horn is a tough nut to crack, probably because he knows how to keep secrets from both sides.
To describe the plot any further would not only give too much away, it would also require a lot of explaining, more so than anyone would be willing to read. As Horn says, "The truth is complicated." It would be more accurate to say that the truth is elusive, simply because I'm not convinced he knows what the truth is. He probably no longer knows which side represents good and which side represents evil. His beliefs are divided between what he reads in the Koran and what he sees going on; one passage states that killing one man is like killing all mankind, yet he's surrounded by Islamic extremists who commit murder to get their point across. He's serious about his faith, but it's clear he doesn't always understand it. He certainly doesn't understand how certain ideas can be misconstrued out of all reason, such as Takfiri, or blending in. A Pakistani terrorist named Fareed (Aly Khan) baffles Horn by saying that jihadists living in America drink alcohol and eat pork in order to blend in. Both acts go against Islamic beliefs.
Horn would probably argue that murder, no matter how justified, also goes against Islamic beliefs (I would make the same argument, although I'm well aware that many people would not). If there were no jihadists, if terrorism were to be eradicated entirely, Horn would not need to be a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant. He would not have to infiltrate enemy hideouts and pretend to be on their side. Only then would his mind be at ease; he could worship in peace without having to worry about suspicious activity in American and Muslim communities. Is it unreasonable to suggest that the vast majority of Muslims long for the same peace of mind? I don't think so. Neither is the idea that there's a gigantic difference between jihad terrorists and those of Islamic faith.
That may ultimately be the point "Traitor" is trying to make, although it's difficult to tell with a story actively trying to be ambiguous. Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and producer/co-story creator Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) have crafted a political drama that forces the audience to think really hard, more about the main character's beliefs than about the actual plot. Themes of not belonging and divided loyalties are certainly not new, but that doesn't mean they're no longer used effectively; "Traitor" succeeds on many levels, not the least of which is Don Cheadle's believable performance. He above all else is what gets the story off the ground, allowing it to be much more than a run-of-the-mill thriller. He adds genuine emotional touches in the subtlest of ways, from precise eye movements to random breathing patterns. Essentially, he makes it real, especially since he never reveals which side his character feels most connected with.
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23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Don Cheadle Thriller, August 29, 2008
Traitor is a fantastic thriller starring Don Cheadle as Samir Horn, a Muslim who was born in Sudan and moved to America as a teenager. He grows up to be a Special Forces soldier for the US, and as the movie begins, we see him moving through the Middle East selling explosives.
His fate crosses with two FBI agents, played by Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough. Soon the two are crisscrossing the globe hunting Samir, who is becoming more and more involved with a cell led by a terrorist mastermind.
The film is written and directed as a great thriller with enough action and suspense to keep you ocuupied and guessing, but not to the extent that it comes off like a routine action movie trying to be more than it is. The film has several twists and surprises and keeps the viewer engaged throughout.
But everything is held together is by Cheadle, who burnishes his reputation as one of Hollywood's greatest talents. His Samir is at once devious, treacherous, loving, compassionate, stubborn, and dangerous. Traitor is a great film, but it would not possess the same impact with a lesser talent as its star.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Taut Character Study that uses Espionage-Thriller Elements, December 21, 2008
There have been quite a good number of espionage thrillers and undercover police films. "TRAITOR" is equal parts detective story and equal parts terrorist thriller. The direction and screenplay by Jeffrey Nachmanoff is taut, gripping and well blends together elements from the Hong Kong hit "Infernal Affairs", the "24" TV series and the Bourne franchise, but it is also filed with social and theological undertones and messages.
After an arms deal in Yemen had gone awry, Samir Horn (Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda) is arrested and imprisoned with the same men that he has been accused of sabotaging the deal, by contacting the authorities. Samir is under fire from both sides, as the F.B.I. is putting pressure on him to reveal his contacts. When Omar (Said Taghmaoui) orchestrates a jailbreak, has little choice but to join the terrorist leader in his quest to wreak havoc in the United States. But who is Samir really working for?
The big draw of "Traitor" is its foreshadowing of Samir's intentions and motivations. The dialogue is kept at a pace to reveal only the minor details as the screenplay goes along, it makes the viewer work to figure out what Samir is really all about, and the script efficiently plays its cards right. Director Nachmanoff deals with certain factors to keep the tense atmosphere, and slowly leaks out more and more information about Samir's beliefs and character It was quite clever to show both the F.B.I. and the terrorist group going through his background. Samir is an ex- U.S. soldier and a very devout Muslim and much of the film focuses on him. There are some integral plot points as Agent Clayton and Agent Archer (Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough respectively) to illustrate some of Samir's political beliefs and the intricate "motivational" speeches as Omar recruits new "martyrs" to their cause. There are also some disagreements between Fahid and Samir that give the audience some idea as to how different followers of Islam interpret the Qur'an. All these doses of dialogue are integral to the script as it manages to keep the viewer interested and intrigued.
The film also has a lot of emotion and the building tension almost never stops. It is the manner of which the film builds suspense through dialogue and significant scenes that helps the film's pacing and story telling. I liked the fact that there doesn't seem to be any political motives in the film although it does promote some parallels and contradictions in government practices to the terrorist organization. Political ideas and theological teachings are shown being misinterpreted to further extremist goals. But Nachmanoff instead focuses on the evils that men do, that all men's deeds will have to answerable to God. I suppose this is a subtle way to say that extremists are using theological beliefs to intentionally misdirect or "brainwash" their followers. The film isn't very "family-friendly" and definitely not for mainstream audiences with its dark tones of government, radicalism and Islam.
Now, the film's biggest credit would have to be Don Cheadle's terrific performance. Samir is a man of Allah and Cheadle bears his soul in his portrayal. Samir is also a skilled soldier, arsonist, bomber but above all, he is a man of God. Cheadle fills his character with an unorthodox sort of appeal, which makes his character all the more compelling and interesting. Guy Pearce (Memento) also does a good supporting performance as Agent Roy Clayton, in a way, he is a man of God but from a different belief--a son of a Baptist preacher. It was quite smart to have such a character dissect another's action. The film has a good pace and the cat and mouse game between Samir and Clayton make for very good entertainment.
The film does pay off in the end but I am sure there will be some viewers who may say that the film doesn't offer anything original and I do partly agree. However, the film proved very interesting to me and this time around, the "journey" itself is rewarding. The film's great cinematography (by J. Michael Muro) is full of tense atmosphere that accentuates its mood. Those who are looking for an action-packed film may be a little disappointed as this one doesn't rely heavily on explosions and action scenes; rather it depends on its screenplay to slowly unravel to its revelatory final act. The film does rely on the frightening idea of another terrorist attack on American soil that may turn off some viewers.
However, the film is highly-engrossing, a great film with a sensitive subject matter but doesn't dwell on political preaching but instead tries to go into the mindset of a man while using espionage-thriller elements. It is a nicely-shot, tense thriller with some food for thought and the strong performance of Don Cheadle just seals the deal .
Recommended! [4- Stars]
Video/audio: 1.78 ratio anamorphic widescreen that diverts from its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35. But it is a nice transfer, natural colors and the overall transfer appears pretty nifty. The 5.1 Dolby Digital track is clear and powerful, but sadly there is no DTS track on the Dvd.
Bonus Features: Commentary by the director and Cheadle and a 10 minute behind the scenes look. The disc is pretty bare-bones.
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