Traitor

Even though the 9/11 attacks happened eight years ago, making a movie about any of the following -- Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorists -- is about the equivalent of trying to sneak into the White House to talk to Obama. You won't be successful, and there's no way your plan ends well. Yet, people in Hollywood still continue to try to put their own spin on the conflicts going on around the world. Maybe the wounds are still too fresh, but it's hard to imagine a big box office for any movie dealing with these sticky topics. Even the critically loved 'The Hurt Locker' struggled in theaters, never getting a wide release. By the way, definitely looking forward to seeing that on DVD.

Part of the problem is that these current world issue war on terrorism movies just haven't been that good. Finally saw one this week, 2008's Traitor, that while not great is an interesting look at modern terrorism, government intrigue, and personal beliefs, both morally and religious. But instead of being too preachy, there's some good action, several exciting chase sequences, and a not so surprising performance from star Don Cheadle. Be forewarned, from here on in, I'm going to be throwing SPOILERS left and right because this is one of this flicks that's more than a little hard to review without a few key (read *twists*) plot revelations.

As a young boy in Yemen, Samir Horn sees his father killed in a car bombing. It's an event that changes his life as a grown-up Samir (Cheadle) joins the U.S. Special Forces only to stay in the Middle East following his discharge. There he works with Muslim terrorist cells, using his expertise with explosives and engineering to keep these cells occupied with bombs. It's at a meeting to sell these explosives that Samir is captured and thrown in a Yemenese prison. There he forms a friendship with Omar (Said Taghmaoui), a member of the cell Samir was working with. An FBI agent, Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce), visits Samir, offering to help him get out, but he wants none of it.

It is not long before Omar and Samir escape the prison, hooking up with the higher-ups and remaining members of their cell. The group, known as Al Nathir, plans to cause chaos in the U.S., not just with one attack, but with 50 attacks happening simultaneously. Al Nathir has been planting sleeper agents throughout the U.S. for years, and now they will each board a different bus on the same day at a prearranged time. The lynch pin is this, they'll all be carrying bombs Samir builds. Continuing his investigation, Clayton sees all the evidence pointing to Samir, but something seems a little off. Can he stop it before the attack?

SPOILERS If you disregarded my previous warning and kept reading, now would be the appropriate time to stop if you don't want the movie spoiled for you. SPOILER Let's face it, Don Cheadle isn't a terrorist, and that's the only big flaw this movie has. There is no way in hell a movie with a major Hollywood actor starring as a hardcore terrorist would get released in theaters. So to resolve that, Cheadle is an agent deep undercover trying to expose the cell that trusts him so closely. His only link to the government he works for is an intelligence operator, Carter (Jeff Daniels making the most of a small part).

But what does work in this context is that none of the story is whitewashed. To convince the cell and his superiors that he is legit, Samir does actually build bombs for them, including one that goes off in an embassy and kills several people that weren't supposed to be there. Cheadle shows off his acting chops in the aftermath, silently tearing himself apart as he reads the newspaper recounting the attack. He doesn't say a word throughout, and it's a powerful, very moving scene. And even riskier, Taghmaoui's Omar is presented as a sympathetic character. That's a ballsy play showing a terrorist as anything but pure evil, but it works. Their unlikely friendship (man, that sounds like a Disney movie) is a key as the movie develops.

Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff chose to set this story in modern times, but it does have elements of any number of genres; the spy movie, the political thriller, the action epic. On a purely entertainment level, Traitor goes up a notch because of that. The characterization and development sets the groundwork for a good movie, and then all those other things lift it up some. There's a message without being preachy, and at the same time it's entertaining as Samir and Omar seemingly race around the world. Locations include Chicago, France, Canada, Morocco, London and Marseilles. Pretty good for a relatively small budget and a somewhat controversial storyline.

This one slipped through the cracks upon its initial release, but it's one worth catching up with. One of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, Cheadle delivers both an emotionally charged and understated role at the same time. Pearce is the FBI agent trying to do his job as best he can, only to realize he's not so different from the man he's chasing. A nice blend of action, intrigue and a message. Definitely worth a rent.

Traitor <----trailer (2008): ***/****