Jon Peters Reviews: “Traitor”

Where would espionage films be right now without ‘The Bourne series’? Handheld camera work, gritty, realistic action, a real world with consequences, but copying can bite you back, instead of making your film the next action franchise. Such is the case with ‘Traitor’.

The film stars the underappreciated Don Cheadle, an actor on the verge of stardom for years now, and it mixes political intrigue with modern elements, making the film an unneeded web of confusion. Its attempt is applaud able, it tries to be a smart thriller, something we always need more have, but it is not smart enough. Cheadle’s character, Samir is a possible terrorist, as he supplies factions with incredible bombs. FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce, another underappreciated actor) is on the hunt for him.

The film spans three continents and features some big explosions, but this really doesn’t add much. The film wants to be clever, but undoes itself with pacing issues and over explaining political ideas we all know already (Middle Easterners are home breed terrorists, the war on terror offers no innocents, Bush sucks-we get it). Perhaps if the script was given another rewrite, these explanations would’ve been ironed out. Another issue I had was the use of all people using English. If you really want to have the film in a realistic tone, don’t have your terrorists speak perfect English.

‘Traitor’ is a solid attempt, but not a satisfying entry in these political thrillers. There’s issues abound and it’s really a direct-to-DVD concept with solid A-level actors. The acting alone brings the film to the theaters. But it aims to please all and offend no one and perhaps that is its problem. The film offers up an idea about how many good people one must kill in the battle between good and evil. One countries terrorist is another’s martyr so there’s plenty of gray area. Samir is a man of God, yet he devises bombs for terrorist groups. I want more moral conflict. If you do too, seek out ‘Paradise Now’. Otherwise, despite Pearce and Cheadle, this film is an almost god idea, but best suited more a rental than a matinee price.

karen1214

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