Traitor

Plot synopsis:
Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is an Arabic-speaking Sudanese-American and devout Muslim. His Sudanese father was killed by a car bomb when he was a child. As an adult, Samir is first seen operating as an arms dealer. While negotiating a deal with Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui) in Yemen he is arrested and thrown into a Yemeni jail. Later, Samir and Omar become friends and when Omar's people arrange an escape, he takes Samir with them. They meet Fareed (Alyy Khan), a lieutenant in the al-Nathir terrorist organization. FBI Special Agent Roy Clayton (Pearce) suspects Samir has been radicalized and begins tracking him.
Joining al-Nathir, Samir uses the skills he learned as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant with the U.S. Army Special Forces to bomb the U.S. consulate in Nice, France. It is revealed that Samir is working under deep cover for a US intelligence contractor, Carter (Jeff Daniels); Samir is devastated when he learns that despite Carter's covert efforts, innocent people perished in the consulate bombing. Impressed with Samir, Fareed introduces him to leader Nathir, who discloses a plot to place suicide bombers on 50 buses in the U.S. during Thanksgiving, and instructs Samir to act as liaison to each of the al-Nathir sleeper bombers. Later, Carter unwittingly interrupts a meeting between Samir and Omar, and is killed by Omar.
Samir reveals his deep cover to Agent Clayton, who tracks him to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. While on board a cargo ship to Marseille, France, Samir kills Nathir and Fareed, and tells an enraged Omar that by targeting innocents they betrayed Islam. Samir then tells Omar that he switched the bombers' emails and he placed them all on the same bus so all of them died without victims (except for the driver of the one bus). The Canadian police and the FBI break in, killing Omar and injuring Samir.
Later, underneath the 'L' in Chicago, Samir tells Agent Clayton he feels guilty for killing innocent people, and that the Qur'an says that to kill an innocent person is to kill all mankind. Clayton responds by noting that the Qur'an also says that by saving an innocent person, he has saved all mankind, and tells Samir he is a hero.

Tags: violence

Review:
So it should come as no surprise that Cheadle is electrifying and deep in this film, and it is his performance that makes the film what it is: a deeply engrossing political thriller that will definitely make the audience think about the movie, and of course, the current state of affairs in our world.Traitor did a very good job of stepping on the audience's toes with some lines that could've been considered prejudiced, and then catching themselves with actual truths about the war in the Middle East, in addition to religions themselves.
A decent plot twist within the ending of the film doesn't hurt at all, and adds a great element of surprise and depth to some characters.All in all, Traitor is definitely worth a watch if you're looking to see something different to escape what is usually the graveyard for films...August.
Suffice to say that this will keep your interest for the full running time and is a thinking person's movie more than most.Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough, Said Taghmaoui and Alyy Kahn are all fantastic in the lead roles.
You actually have to think about the characters' motives and actions in order to gain the full benefit of viewing.Don Cheadle as Samir the traitor, and Guy Pearce as the FBI agent searching for Samir are needless-to-say, first-rate in their portrays of two strong-willed and intelligent men.
He has a strong supporting cast, including Guy Peirce, as the lead FBI agent tracking him down, Neal McDonough (from HBO's Band of Brothers") assisting Peirce, Jeff Daniels as an intelligence contractor with a shady persona, and many others, all excellent.The plot is complicated and I won't spend a lot of time re-hashing the movie.
The excesses of both extreme Islam and American actions around the world are both noted, but the proper critique is also made of both types of excess, leading to the conclusion that the writers knew their stuff and understood the basic principles that undergird both Islam and the United States, and aren't afraid to criticize those who would twist either set of principles for their own ends.The movie revolves around Don Cheadle, who put on a great performance as Sadir, a Sudanese born American citizen.
It's just about safe to say that those movies have their place, as most movies do, but that when you start mixing real-life affairs—and especially those linked to such acts as terrorism and religion—you begin unravelling something that really should be left alone if you're not going to deal with it in a dignified manner.Traitor, which comes from director Jeffrey Nachemanoff (known for his script The Day After Tomorrow), certainly doesn't shy away from this sense of action that permeates the average political action thriller, but it isn't ruled or dominated by it either.
The script is well paced and focused, with plenty of time-out segments that develop character and plot significantly, with little excess.One could argue that perhaps Traitor is a little too long for it's own good; there are moments where the movie slows down to snail's pace for the sake of filling in plot holes and making sure the viewer is up to speed with what is going on, but such instances never become overbearing, nor do they drown out any tension developed up until that point.
By tackling such detailed issues head-on, Nachemanoff makes sure to avoid the pitfalls of your common political thriller; the decisions presented here are presented exactly as such; there are consequences, there are doubts and there are conflicts inside and outside said people that manifest throughout and permeate the entire feature; Traitor dances with the people behind the FBI suits and the skull-caps, and it makes sure that they aren't mere action-movie caricatures for the sake of preserving its ultimate drawing point—reality.Of course, a large portion of the movie's ability to suspend disbelief is through the performances of the central cast who embody their characters with a convincing sense of realism throughout.
talk about high hopes being dashed.seeing the trailers for this film starring Don Cheadle,i was convinced it would be a great movie.sadly,i found it boring,predictable,muddled,pointless.I like Don Cheadle a lot.but i think he made a bad decision to star in this movie.Guy Pierce,Neil McDonough,and Jeff Daniels co star.a case of a great cast being wasted,except for guy Pierce,who i was impressed with.otherwise,this movie is just filled with despair and no hope.it's got a fairly high rating of 7.2/10,which i would say is way,way too generous.maybe i just wasn't in the right mood or frame of mind for this movie.anyway,for me,Traitor is a 4/10.
Around this time last year, Hollywood became very interested in terrorism as a movie subject, and it made a whole slew of films about the war on terror, none of them very good but few of them egregiously bad."Traitor" could belong to that same group of films.
It's the kind of movie that fades from memory immediately after viewing.Also starring Guy Pearce, perhaps the most versatile actor in the world, here playing a Southern Baptist F.B.I. agent; and Jeff Daniels, hopelessly underused as Cheadle's C.I.A. contact.Grade: B-.
But the erstwhile "wild and crazy guy" does indeed get the story credit for Traitor, a confused spy movie that strains to give an evenhanded portrayal of Islam even as it unwittingly fans the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment.Don Cheadle stars as Samir Horn, a devout American Muslim arrested in Yemen for attempting to sell explosives to an Islamic terror organization.
"He's caught between traditional Islam and the West." About "traitor" Samir HornTraitor is no traitor to the thriller genre: Traces abound of the Jason Bourne series and Traffic to cite two different nail biters that rely on quick-cutting international intrigue and vulnerable but intrepid heroes (An operative says, "Terrorism is theatre, and theatre is always performed for an audience").What Traitor doesn't have is a dynamic heroDon Cheadle plays disaffected former Special Operations officer Samir Horn as if he were still running the hotel in Rwanda with his too cool mien, certainly not the passionate Petey Greene of last year's Talk to Me. It's more like Cheadle underplaying Cheadle.
Australian Pearce's subtle Southern accent is remarkable, but then the Memento star has always infused his roles with wit and intensity.Traitor has some gyrating cinematography and a moment or two of good tough guy talk ("Sorry, left my Bill of Rights at home"), yet it is curiously devoid of a fresh take on espionageeven 9/11 inspired Muslim terrorists are clichéd.
The portrayal of the terrorists I feel isn't exactly accurate either, they're more like a soft fraternity than a criminal organization, and I've heard of prostitution rings more intricate than these guys.Some of the dialogue the movie could do without (stating the obvious type stuff), but overall it's good.Some things I did like was the final twist, which was clever and unexpected, and even made the whole theater laugh.
Always nice to see Archie Panjabi ("Bend it Like Beckham", "A Good Year") but the biggest head scratcher was the lack of development for Jeff Daniels' character.Anyway, the film attempts to deliver a message about who the good guys really are when both sides are attacking each other, but it just comes up short in every aspect..
But the film does drag on a little and at times my head felt too spun around, especially at the end, maybe it'll take a second look, but I think most would be confused by this movie.Samir Horn has grown up in a terrorist world, his father was killed by a terrorist act, but when he grows up, he decides to help out the terrorists by making money, he sells bombs and weapons.
Samir gets mixed up with the terrorists, becoming a murderer, becoming mixed up with the American government, eventually having to decide if he wants to continue to destroy innocent people's lives or save some lives.Traitor is one of the better films released in August, but like I said, I didn't think anything stood out too well with this film.
It also irritated me that it makes it seem as if the person sitting next to you on the public bus could be a terrorist, these films do frighten me on a certain level, I know they could be true, but it's making me a bit uncomfortable at times, Traitor cannot be watched for entertainment, it's a message film and makes you think about the world.
The Don Cheadle film TRAITOR was not as bad as most terrorism theme stories and has a believable premise, but as expected, was blatantly slanted to favor Islam.
A good character study (excellent rendition by Don Cheadle), a well crafted story, an action thriller film mingled with ingenious espionage and conspiracies.
Now he's told by his US controller Carter, Jeff Danials, to provide the explosives that can kills almost as many US citizens that were killed back on 9/11.It's US CIA agent Roy Clayton, Guy Pearce, who got wind of Samir's working for the US Government not against who it who tried to get him to reveal those terrorists like his good friend Omar, Said Taghmaoui, plans to blow up America.
Even the Proclamation and the Definition are Ambiguous, Fleeting, with Dissent Everywhere.While the Film tells the Story of an Individual "Bomb Maker" and all around Genius (Guy Cheadle), and Succeeds for the most part to be Up Close and Very Personal concerning the Motivation, Religious Philosophy, Devotion and Dedication to the "Cause" and all of that Feels Real enough, the Enormous Political State of the World Intrudes.It Suffocates the Narrative trying to be an End All. There are Flashes of "Holy Book" Readings and Devotees of All Stripes manipulating Justifications for all kinds of Bad Behavior.
Jihadists are a tricky bunch you don't wanna make them mad,, apparently our main character Semir seemed to feel betrayed, and decided that he was gonna single handedly get back at all of those who had done him and his religion wrong for so many years,, interesting footage of a might be Jihadist might do in a terrorist situation,, like making a bomb for instance,, um the suicidal bomber,, stuff like that,, this movie is not so much into action as it is more of a political thriller type,, it shows the emotions of many of the jihadists and what they are going thru,, i'm not sympathizing with them i'm just saying some of it is interesting to see what happens from their point of view..
very respected moderate undercover Muslim man working for the CIA in an attempt to infiltrate a terrorist cell operating in the United States and very respected moderate FBI agent .This movie lives in the real world,i think this is the first movie that gives a thoughtful approach, showing the difference between radical terrorist Islam and true Islam(Samir)and how the terrorists think, what it is that they are really after, how they are really organized and much more.Now I must note that the movie had some errors ,some small details in the terrorists ethics and culture,one is the salafist radical Muslims don't use the Rosary beads...i hope this movie will change the idea of all Muslims are terrorist and all Americans want to destroy Islam..
(Synopsis) Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), a devout American Muslim, and a former U.S. Army Special Forces expert in explosives, has been mysteriously showing up on the FBI's radar for being in the area of terrorist bombings.
Hollywood may be comprehending that the movies with political and war subjects saturated the taste and they left the unhappiness from North American people satisfied.The ones who are already convinced do not need any more; and the ones which match with the aggressive foreign policy from the United States will not stop supporting the "pro-America" practices.However, that has not stopped many filmmakers from looking for new material; in other words, they are more interested to focus on the peripheral aspects of war, instead than focusing on the war itself.So, we have seen movies like In the Valley of Elah and Stop Loss, which offer discouraging visions of the soldiers who came back from war; movies like Lions for Lambs, Rendition and Syriana, which examine the ideology behind the conflicts; and finally, movies which could belong to the action genre if it was not because of their political message, like The Kingdom and Body of Lies.But we had never seen the conflict from the enemy's point of view, and because of that, Traitor is a refreshing and fascinating portrait of the causes which motivate the rebellion and disgust against the North American expansion.The screenplay from this movie has unsuspected levels of intellectual and emotional provocation.Screenwriter Jeffrey Nachmanoff (who is also the director from this movie) refuses to bring us easy answers about the ideological conflicts, and he portrays a discouraging vision of international politics, where concepts like "loyalty" and "treason" are neither good or bad, but only useful tools for manipulating opinions, public perception or legislation.Traitor is a truly audacious movie which goes more far away from the easy complaints of patriotism and human rights which other movies make, showing us that in fact, the world works on a grey scale, and not on the simplistic "black and white" the politicians want to make us believe.But, besides of all the ideological background from this film, Traitor work perfectly as an ambiguous and incredibly tense thriller, which has perfectly developed characters who occupy their ambiguous positions without revealing their clear porpoises, provoking a delicious suspense on the spectator, at the same time it is difficult to know where the story will take us.Nachmanoff's direction is sober, something which works very well on the context from this movie.The performances are excellent, not only the one from the great Don Cheadle, but also the ones from the supporting cast, where the members who mostly stand out are Saïd Taghmaoui as a terrorist and Jeff Daniels as a security contractor, which is a role where this underrated actor shows his wide range, which goes more far away than the family films where we usually see him.The only fail I found on this movie is that the ending could have been a little more polished.But, in spite of that, I recommend Traitor with a lot of enthusiasm, because it is an excellent movie which does not only entertain very much, but which also leaves the spectator thinking..
That's because it deals with the current topic of terrorism in an unflinching manner, with the hijacking of religion to further the terrorists' extremist and violent ends being told in a style yet unseen from films such as The Kingdom, Syriana, The Siege and Body of Lies, to name but a few films dealing with the topic.I am a keen admirer of Don Cheadle's film performance, especially in dramatic roles, and here he plays Samir Horn, a devout Muslim and US citizen caught up in a web of intrigue and international terrorism acts.
But there's more than meets the eye to Samir, and here's where Cheadle excels in putting that level of ambiguity into a role that raises moral questions about doing something for the "greater good", no matter the costs.Chasing him around the world are FBI counter-terrorism agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough), who are clearly like fish out of water when operating outside their legal jurisdictions.
As it turns out,no...or at least not really.This film,conceived of by of all people actor/comedian Steve MArtin(!)and directed by Jeffrey NAchbarr,is a fast,unrelenting tale of pursuit as Horn's true nature and his own missions are being tracked by two dogged Feds(Guy Pearce is Clayton,the perceivable "good cop" and Neal McDonough is MAx,the "bad cop")and is being kept up to speed by a high-to-low level CIA spook(Jeff Daniels,in what's a little bit more than a cameo).
And although it's not a bad film, it is a forgettable one.Don Cheadle, always a reliable actor, gives a fine performance as Samir - a possible terrorist being pursued by the FBI (Guy Pearce, Neil McDonough) for selling explosives to extremist groups in the Middle East.
It makes a great movie story like in Traitor, but it is a sad day when terrorism happens and kills innocent people.
"Traitor" is an attempt to take us inside a modern-day Islamic terrorist group by telling the story of Samir Horn (played by Don Cheadle).
The movie leaves us guessing as to Samir's true loyalties as he gets involved in planning a major terror attack on the US, while FBI agent Roy Clayton (played by Guy Pearce) leads the government effort to thwart the plot.On the positive side, the acting in "Traitor" is uniformly great, without standout performances from Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce as the lead characters.
"Traitor" promises to be one of the first mainstream American movies to actually get into the mind of an Islamic terrorist, but about halfway through, it loses the courage of its convictions and opts for Hollywood artificiality instead.Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, a devout Muslim who supplies terrorist organizations with the materials they need to carry out suicide bombings.
And while this film does not directly deal in the actual war, it does deal in the war against terror, which I am pretty sure are the same.Reminding me immensely of last year's "The Kingdom", "Traitor" follows the story of a Muslim man, Samir (Don Cheadle) who is actually a deep cover operative for a branch of the US government.How does this remind me of "The Kingdom" you ask, well if you have seen that movie you know that it casts a sympathetic light on the otherwise slandered name of the Muslim.
Very decent performances from all of the cast, honourable mentions go to Don Cheadle as Samir Horn, Guy Pearce as Roy Clayton (great accent), Saïd Taghmaoui as Omar, Neal McDonough as Max Archer, Alyy Khan as Fareed and Jeff Daniels as Carter.As I've already said, this is a very intriguing film tackling a very delicate subject, which I thought was done pretty well.