2008 Woodie Awards
Now Rating: "Traitor"
Jeff Mason
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: A&E
Alestle Reporter
It's hard to believe that in one week the country will be commemorating the seventh anniversary of September 11. The faint taste of the attacks is still in the country's mouth and rears its head every now and then. Even Hollywood is still trying to better understand the attacks, and, in some instances, educate people about how terrorists misuse Islam. "Traitor" is the latest of these movies hoping to entertain and educate, merging a slick thriller with the world of international terrorism.
"Traitor" follows Samir Horn (Don Cheadle of "Crash" and "Talk to Me") in his globe-trotting trip to plan a large scale attack on the United States. Unbeknownst to his fellow terrorists and nearly all U.S. authorities, he is actually working to stop the attacks. Heading up the chase for the government is FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce of "Memento").
Things start off with a bang, literally, and don't let up for the length of the film. It's not action packed, nor is it full of rhetoric on Islam. Instead, it strikes a light balance in both categories. The insight into the religion is relatively minimal but manages to accurately portray the Islamic faith on some level.
Cheadle turns in another great performance as the conflicted undercover agent, adding to his résumé as one of most underappreciated actors in Hollywood. There are plenty of opportunities for a burst of emotion, but Cheadle opts to go for the subtler approach every time, and the rest of the cast follows suit.
Jeffrey Nachmanoff wrote the script, with some help from Steve Martin. (Yes, that Steve Martin). The story is never dull and throws in enough twists and turns that change the game enough to keep the audience guessing. The dialogue isn't extraordinary by any measure, but never falters, putting all of the focus on the tension happening on screen.
Nachmanoff, who also wears the director's hat, does an excellent job keeping things interesting throughout the movie. The limited amount of action is handled well, and the tension builds as it should in a thriller. No complaints in this department. A solid job all around.
While "Traitor" doesn't quite do enough to warrant the highest score available, it does come off as one of the bigger surprises of the year.
4 out of 5 stars.
It's hard to believe that in one week the country will be commemorating the seventh anniversary of September 11. The faint taste of the attacks is still in the country's mouth and rears its head every now and then. Even Hollywood is still trying to better understand the attacks, and, in some instances, educate people about how terrorists misuse Islam. "Traitor" is the latest of these movies hoping to entertain and educate, merging a slick thriller with the world of international terrorism.
"Traitor" follows Samir Horn (Don Cheadle of "Crash" and "Talk to Me") in his globe-trotting trip to plan a large scale attack on the United States. Unbeknownst to his fellow terrorists and nearly all U.S. authorities, he is actually working to stop the attacks. Heading up the chase for the government is FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce of "Memento").
Things start off with a bang, literally, and don't let up for the length of the film. It's not action packed, nor is it full of rhetoric on Islam. Instead, it strikes a light balance in both categories. The insight into the religion is relatively minimal but manages to accurately portray the Islamic faith on some level.
Cheadle turns in another great performance as the conflicted undercover agent, adding to his résumé as one of most underappreciated actors in Hollywood. There are plenty of opportunities for a burst of emotion, but Cheadle opts to go for the subtler approach every time, and the rest of the cast follows suit.
Jeffrey Nachmanoff wrote the script, with some help from Steve Martin. (Yes, that Steve Martin). The story is never dull and throws in enough twists and turns that change the game enough to keep the audience guessing. The dialogue isn't extraordinary by any measure, but never falters, putting all of the focus on the tension happening on screen.
Nachmanoff, who also wears the director's hat, does an excellent job keeping things interesting throughout the movie. The limited amount of action is handled well, and the tension builds as it should in a thriller. No complaints in this department. A solid job all around.
While "Traitor" doesn't quite do enough to warrant the highest score available, it does come off as one of the bigger surprises of the year.
4 out of 5 stars.
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