August 28, 2008 -- “Traitor” is a smarter movie about terrorism. It doesn't present morality as black and white and it doesn't present a simplistic view of Islam. Written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (the story concept came from comic Steve Martin) this film comes across as intelligent and lean. It counts on the audience to be intelligent as well. It doesn't spell things out with dialogue or off-screen narration or text. You have to pay attention and figure things out for yourself. It is also not a gimmick film with “gotcha” moments and a surprise ending set up by elaborate misdirections. There are plot twists, sure, but said twists are not the whole point of the film. Instead, it is a serious look at the world of terrorism and anti-terrorism.

Don Cheadle (“Talk to Me”) stars as Samir Horn, an American citizen who is also a foreign born Muslim. He speaks fluent Arabic, has military and explosives experience, and is known to deal explosives with known terrorists. When he is captured in Yemen in the midst of selling explosives to terrorists, he attracts the attention of FBI agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce of “The Time Machine”) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough of “Flags of Our Fathers”). The agents become even more interested in Samir when he escapes prison in Yemen and is later linked to the bombing of an American Consulate in Nice, France. When Samir shows up in the United States, linked to a suspected multiple bombing plot, Samir rises to the top of the FBI's most wanted terrorists list. The chase, and the battle of wits, is on. Some aspects of the case don't add up, and that begins to worry Clayton, in particular.

The movie follows Samir's international travels, along with his fellow traveler, Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui of “Vantage Point”). Also involved in the case is the mysterious government agent Carter (Jeff Daniels of “The Lookout”). Omar does not agree with the practices of his fellow travelers, who drink alcoholic drinks and even eat pork so as not to attract suspicion. A devout Muslim, Samir resists these practices. In a memorable confrontation with agents Clayton and Archer, Samir reminds them that Christians too, are capable of very black deeds. Clayton, whose father and grandfather were preachers, has a certain empathy for Samir.

While there are some interesting plot twists in the film, the major ones are not hard to figure out in advance. That didn't prevent me from enjoying this film or admiring the lean, professional way it is put together. There isn't a lot of action in the film, but there are shootouts and of course some bombings. The approach of the film is more thoughtful than action-oriented. It takes a look at the nuts and bolts of terrorism and anti-terrorism. It is also a pretty good character study of three main characters, Samir, Clayton and Omar and their differing approaches to living life according to the dictates of their various religious beliefs. These characters are all the more interesting because of the exceptional acting skills on display in this film. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2008 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .