Traitor

Starring: Don Cheadle, Jeff Bridges, Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough, Said Taghmaoui
Directed by: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Rating: R
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Crime
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two FBI Agents (Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough) begin an investigation of a Muslim American (Don Cheadle) living in Afghanistan because of his ties to a known terrorist (Said Taghmaoui). However, his true allegiance is a mystery, which could have massive repercussions for the United States.

Review:

Tim: I liked this movie because it perfectly blends drama, thrills, and a bit of action into a very good terrorism movie. The key to the movie's success is that it brings a level of intelligence not found in these types of movies. This is truly a thinking man's espionage movie, and I appreciate that. The plot is complex, but not annoyingly so. It keeps you very interested throughout.

The movie works well because of the cast. Don Cheadle is very good as a complicated, intelligent man. His true loyalties are unknown for much of the film, and Cheadle keeps us guessing. His performance makes either possibilty seem likely. The movie works because Cheadle gives an impassioned, multilayered performance. He also has some help, though. Jeff Daniels is surprisingly good as a tough American agent. I really liked the few scenes between Daniels and Cheadle. Guy Pearce was very well cast in his role as an FBI Agent. I wish he had more to do, but he gives a strong performance.

While the movie does a great deal right, it could have used a bit more action or suspense. I will admit there was a few moments where I wish the movie would have sped up a bit, or gave us more to care about. While I enjoyed the characters in the movie, I never really got emotionally invested. I figured the bad guys would be defeated in the end, and everyone would be happy. While the movie did throw a few curveballs, my original assumptions proved mostly true. The film does have a terrific ending. There is one particular moment, on a bus, that is perhaps the best moment of the film. However, the movie takes a while to get going, and could have done a better job maintaining its momentum while it geared up for the very satisfying conclusion.

One of the big flaws of the film is that it seemed like 50% of the movie was new and interesting, and 50% of the film was recycled or too close to similar movies. In the past few years, we've been overwhelmed with these terrorist/espionage/political films, and to truly emerge from the pack, a movie has to give us something very new or interesting. This movie gets us halfway there, which is more than most. I enjoyed Traitor, but I fear that with time, this movie will sink into the abyss of movies that worked on some level, but proved too forgettable to make a lasting impact.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hotel Rwanda, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen