Movie Review: Traitor
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this adult thriller revolves
around lofty ideas and mature themes (including faith and
terrorism) that may not interest kids, or even teens. The
violence -- of which there's a fair amount, including an
embassy bombing and gunfire that leads to bloodshed -- and
discussions about terrorism might be upsetting to younger
viewers. There's also some swearing, smoking, and drinking. All
of that said, the main character seems like a man who struggles
as much as he can to be true to his faith, and watching him
navigate this quagmire is actually quite thought-provoking.
Families can talk about how the movie deals with both faith and terrorism. Can the two co-exist? What messages does the movie send about that relationship? Families can also discuss Samir's decision to join a group whose activities might run counter to his religious beliefs. Why does he take it on? How is he affected by the experience? Is this movie different from other political thrillers? If so, how?
Common Sense Media Review
Does a pious man have a place in the war against terror?
That's the essential question behind the tense drama TRAITOR.
Don
Cheadle stars as Samir Horn, a devout Muslim-American with
a military past who finagles his way into the inner sanctum of
a European terrorist cell. Thrown in a Yemeni prison for an
arms deal gone awry, Horn befriends a prisoner who not only
helps him escape but proceeds to recruit him for a dangerous,
destructive mission. But Horn isn't what he seems. Not even an
FBI agent (
Guy
Pearce) in hot pursuit knows who he really is -- or just
how or why he came to be in the enemy's inner circle in the
first place.
Taut and intriguing -- for the most part, anyway -- Traitor succeeds on a basic level thanks to Cheadle's acting prowess. Rather than playing Horn as a typical action-hero prototype, he creates a character so complicated and conflicted that the movie nearly transcends its flaws. Nearly. But it does have flaws. For starters, it skates over too many details -- how Horn metamorphosed from government soldier to arms trader, how his tangled web got its start. And while it certainly attempts to present a more full-bodied representation of extremists and extremism, the movie relies a little too much on shorthand, even though it willingly takes on a complex subject.
If not for the great acting ensemble, the enterprise would come across as paint-by-numbers. As it is, for a thriller, it feels slack and predictable in places -- as in Horn's encounters with a prison bully and how his response buys him the respect of others, for example. And, at times, it's self-consciously ponderous. But there's no denying the film's timeliness and its laudable efforts at injecting humanity into a hot-button debate. Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who also co-wrote the script, doesn't just rely on dogma and polemics, and for that he deserves some kudos.
Other suggestions include The Bourne Identity , Syriana , and Charlie Wilson's War.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
