Despite containing a mystery (which once you've seen the film, you know the secret,) Traitor is immensely re-watchable. This is a complex spy game. We know that someone is a traitor, but from whose perspective? Who is the traitor? And did he betray the cause, or his country?
Stuck in a Yemen prison, we are introduced to the Islamic faith and the nature of Samir (Don Cheadle) – the film's protagonist (driving force.)
This is Don Cheadle at his best, he runs the gamut emotionally. Special Agent Clayton (Guy Pearce) is passionate and focused, smart and deductive. He's a good guy. But what game is Samir playing? Which mask is his real face?
There is a substantial amount of time and attention paid to the FBI chase, which is important in a spy movie. The viewer needs to understand both sides of the hunt.
Switching back and forth between them and Samir's troubles in prison, is interesting because the pace is just right. Not so fast that the viewer is disoriented, confused. Not so slow that the viewer feels patronised, or bored.
It is interesting how Samir sets himself up to be rescued by Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui – Three kings) – the person whom he needs to get close to, now he must earn his trust. An argument that sounds convincing to Samir, concludes with the line, “Once upon a time Americans were the terrorists to the British.”
As the story continues, snippets fall into place. Agent Carter (Jeff Daniels) is convincing. Samir is a man of faith. The FBI are playing a fascinating spy game, intricate and enticing. But they’re simply following Samir, he’s the star of this show.
The bomb-making is interesting to watch, fun to see the plan coming together. Then Samir disguises tragedy as triumph, when an attack on a diplomatic building leaves some innocent people dead. It is the British terrorist leader, Fareed (Alyy Khan) who Samir should not trust. This man has contacts watching the FBI. There are moles everywhere. And he does not seem to be a true believer.
The big mission is set and Samir is on the inside. It looks like Special Agent Clayton may be the hero of the story. From his perspective, the bombing proves Samir’s guilt. It seems that Samir is a terrorist, after all. This is what the film is about – where does Samir’s true allegiance lie? And soon the world will shudder.
The game is fun to watch, suspenseful and somewhat unpredictable, as the stakes are raised over, and over again.
Omar is an intriguing character. He’s a nice guy, but it’s not difficult for him to shoot a man dead, a man he doesn’t know (twice to make certain.) And when things get dicey, he tries to talk Fareed out of killing Samir. So we like him, but we also know that he is dangerous.
The ending is really well calculated, thrilling. It’s scary how nowhere is free from terror, how a terrorist cell could be operating anywhere. A person could as easily be a terrorist as a serial killer, right under your nose. The only escape from this feeling of fear, is that certain organisations, and some brave individuals working for them, are fighting this never-ending war to keep you safe.
3 stars
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