MOVIE REVIEW
Traitor (2008)
Rafy/Overture Films
Two very different movies compete for the soul of “Traitor,”
the new film from writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff based on a story idea of
Steve Martin’s. The first and least
interesting of the two follows the general, turgid outline of a thriller. It comes complete with slow intercutting
between a terrorist and his pursuers, repetitious pans over the skylines of
Washington D.C. and too many international locales and “action” scenes that
largely consist of star Don Cheadle walking into and out of various buildings.
Much more compelling: the ways in which the film critiques
popular representations of Islam. It
does so by making Samir Horn (Mr. Cheadle), the main character, an American Gulf
War veteran and convert to Islam who for unknown reasons has involved himself in a Middle Eastern terrorist ring. The picture refuses to vilify Samir, and as he gets more deeply immersed
in the terrorist underworld, the screenplay raises serious questions about the
defining struggle within Islam: that between its violent extremists and
majority of peace-loving practitioners.
Scrap the clichéd thriller aesthetic, with its drumbeat
soundtrack and slick visuals, and there’s a provocative story here. Mr. Cheadle, an enormously skilled actor, is certainly
up for the greater challenge. He
invests in Samir his characteristic combination of emotional and psychological
intelligence, and he makes the character surprisingly relatable in spite of
Samir’s cerebral, challenging nature.
The screenplay contains some meaningful debate about
the proper interpretation of the Quran, the religious validity of the concept
of jihad and the importance of maintaining an optimistic worldview even in the
bleakest of times. An important cry for
peace, and one that directly confronts the rampant media stereotyping of
practitioners of Islam, the film still never delves fully into these more
interesting themes and ideas. Instead,
in aspiring to late summer blockbuster status, the filmmakers ensure that these substantive parts
are drowned out by a lot of generic fluff.
TRAITOR
Opened on Aug. 27 in the United States.
Directed and written by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, based on a story by Steve Martin and Mr. Nachmanoff; director of photography, J. Michael Muro; edited by Billy Fox; music by Mark Kilian; production designer, Rocco Matteo; produced by David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Don Cheadle and Jeffrey Silver;
released by Overture Films. Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes. This film is rated PG-13.
WITH: Mr. Cheadle (Samir Horn), Guy Pearce (Roy Clayton), Saïd Taghmaoui (Omar), Neal McDonough (Max Archer) and Jeff Daniels (Carter).
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