Traitor…

Traitor Review

09 Mar 2009

Critics rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Reviewed by Tom Charity , LOVEFiLM

Conceived in the aftermath of 9/11 by Steve Martin (yes, that one) and director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Traitor proved too topical for comfort.

It took six years to get made – and another to cross the Atlantic. The lull probably isn’t to the film’s advantage, especially as bigger budget items like Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies and The Kingdom have stolen some of its thunder.

Traitor

Starring Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough, Jeff Daniels

Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Genres Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Run time 110 mins Certificate 15

Cast details

Don Cheadle
Born: 29 Nov 1964
Kansas City, Missouri

Top rated films View all

The Avengers (2012)

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Top rated films	View all
The Avengers (2012)
Hotel Rwanda (2004)

The reliably excellent and still under-utilised Don Cheadle produced it through his company and stars as Samir Horn, a Sudanese born Muslim of American extraction whose allegiances switch between the US (he’s ex Special Forces) and Jihadi groups – though quite where he stands as the movie gets going is intentionally ambiguous.

Guy Pearce is the FBI agent on the case, desperate to catch up with Samir when he is tracked back on US soil… Pearce is a Good guy – he has a PhD in Arabic studies and defuses his less tolerant partner (Neal McDonough), who’s more from the Dick Cheney school of thought.

There are matching cheques and balances on the other side of the equation: Fareed (Aly Khan) is the sinister terrorist mastermind ready to bathe in the blood of Holy War; but Omar (Said Taghmaoui) is a thoughtful and intelligent guy who voices legitimate concerns about western imperialism without coming off like a crazy.

This even-handed approach isn’t quite the same as claiming “moral equivalence” between the terrorists and the homeland security forces. The movie never suggests that the bombings are justified. The plotting may be complex, but it’s nowhere near as sophisticated an analysis of the geo-political situation as Syriana. Rather, it plays like a woolly liberal version of a Robert Ludlum thriller, with a man-on-the-run theme and a race-against-the-clock climax mitigated with a good deal of moral hand-wringing and jaw-jaw.

Traitor: Guy Pearce

Good performances from Cheadle and Pearce, as well as supporting actors like Archie Panjabi (as Samir’s better half) and Jeff Daniels (as an old CIA associate) sustain our interest despite a rote feel to the suspense. Nachmanoff is a screenwriter who wrote The Day After Tomorrow. This is his first film as director and he doesn’t try anything too radical unless holding the camera steady counts. These days, maybe it does.

Traitor Reviews

Critic's review of Traitor
View all (1)
- The war on terror inspires works of earnest mediocrity: from âRenditionâ to âThe Kingdomâ, Hollywoodâs... read more on Time Out
- 50893
- - Tom Huddleston
  - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:21
Most helpful member's review of Traitor
View all members' reviews (128)
- - 51
  - 1
  Keeps you guessing.
  
  It keeps you guessing all the way through, just who are the bad guys and who are the good. Well worth renting.
  
  Report this review
- 671281
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Bridgwater
  - 10 Dec 2008 at 21:06
Most recent members' reviews of Traitor
View all members' reviews (128)
- - 0
  - 0
  Subtle hidden plots throughout. Enjoyable to watch.
  
  Good plot. Well written. Well acted. Enjoyable to watch.
  
  Subtle hidden plots throughout.
  
  Clever twist right at the end.
  
  Would ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1081255
- - a customer
  - 13 Jan 2012 at 01:28
- - 0
  - 0
  Oh No He Isn't!
  
  This was a very good film. It gradually built to a clever finale with an interesting outcome. At certain stages you were not sure about which way the main ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1074614
- - camero
  - 9 reviews
  - St. Andrews
  - 19 Dec 2011 at 12:28
- - 0
  - 0
  Treacherously good!!
  
  Don Cheadle has got to be one of the most understated and underated great actors in Hollywood. He produces, literally, a great and authentic character that I ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1068209
- - Lightbrown
  - 3 reviews
  - 28 Nov 2011 at 18:23
View all members' reviews (128)

- - 51
  - 1
  Keeps you guessing.
  
  It keeps you guessing all the way through, just who are the bad guys and who are the good. Well worth renting.
  
  Report this review
- 671281
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Bridgwater
  - 10 Dec 2008 at 21:06
- - 20
  - 1
  A good gritty and gripping film
  
  While the claims of bourne identity are a bit overstated this film is completely in its own league. The outstanding acting by almost everyone and the realistic... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 799967
- - rubbishreview
  - 156 reviews
  - Northwich
  - 18 Aug 2009 at 23:25
- - 19
  - 0
  A good film that holds the audience with action, excitement and plot.
  
  I like this film. Guy Pearce is much under-rated .....he makes fewer films than he should.....and they're usually well chosen by him.
  
  The plot ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1036028
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - roncoach
  - 250 reviews
  - suffolk
  - 02 Sep 2011 at 00:41
- - 12
  - 6
  Traitor
  
  I have to say I was very dissapointed with this film. I lost interest after 30 minutes however I watched the movie to the end and wow, someone has wasted a ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 810417
- - Cravend
  - 12 reviews
  - Yorkshire
  - 14 Sep 2009 at 14:36
- - 9
  - 0
  Islam vs.West (part 784 )
  
  You may well groan at the mere thought of another of this type of film ,but give it a try - it's really rather good. Intelligent ,well crafted plot ,... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 800866
- - nws56
  - 5 reviews
  - Chesterfield
  - 21 Aug 2009 at 01:19
- - 9
  - 0
  Convincing
  
  Boy sees his father blown up by car bomb, years later helpts terrorists, makes bombs, blows up US Embassies, twists & turns.
  
  Really good thriller... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 808587
- - Bassman71
  - 420 reviews
  - Didsbury, England
  - 09 Sep 2009 at 09:42
- - 7
  - 0
  Excelent
  
  One fo the best movie I have seen. It is intriguin and fantastic thriller. Exposed one of the most trouble matter in society. I highly recommend.
  
  Report this review
- 803057
- - akreddy
  - 6 reviews
  - Merthyr Tydfil
  - 26 Aug 2009 at 13:14
- - 7
  - 0
  An intelligent thriller
  
  It is good to see that Hollywood can look at the global terroism threat in an intelligent, even sympathetic, manner. For a US produced film to treat the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 810496
- - JulianDF
  - 38 reviews
  - Monmouth
  - 14 Sep 2009 at 18:21
- - 4
  - 0
  worth a watch
  
  Excellent acting and storyline throughout this film. Don Cheadle gives a bravura performance as the lead actor, ably supported by Guy Pearce amongst others. A... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 810401
- - Thegiscool
  - 9 reviews
  - Darlington
  - 14 Sep 2009 at 13:44
- - 4
  - 0
  Rubbish
  
  Don't even bother using a credit for this, another sleeping pill effect, Yawn.............
  
  Report this review
- 818103
- - a customer
  - Solihull
  - 06 Oct 2009 at 12:53

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Critic's review
- The war on terror inspires works of earnest mediocrity: from âRenditionâ to âThe Kingdomâ, Hollywoodâs... read more on Time Out
- 50893
- - Tom Huddleston
  - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:21

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