Stitch and Bear

A long-running Irish blog with reviews of the best restaurants in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Some wine and cocktails thrown in for good measure!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Traitor

In Traitor, Jeffrey Nachmanoff has crafted a tale of the post 9/11 war on terror, recasting it as a battle for the souls of believers.

Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, a Sudanese born, America-raised ex-soldier. When an explosives sales to Muslim extremists goes wrong, he is jailed in a Yemenese prison, where he is visited by two FBI agents (played by Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough). From this point onwards, we are never sure where Samir's alleigances lie. Is he aligned with the errorists who share his faith, or is he working undercover as a loyal agent for his country?

As the plot is layered and developed, it is hard not to feel drawn into Samir's moral dilemma. As he plays both sides, the sense of personal danger threatens to overwhelm him.

There is something lacking in this film. It never quite digs deep, or pays sufficient respect to the victims of terrorism. It is intelligent, well-constructed and thoughtful, but just not insightful enough. It is however, a cut above the usual American terrorism hokum.
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