Traitor was a movie I saw earlier this year and I couldn’t wait for it to come out on DVD– only to find it got little fanfare. Not a favorite with critics, it did find an audience particularly those who wanted to see what was going on from the unique perspective of a deep cover agent that’s suspected of having “turned” to the other side– that of Islamic extremists and terrorists in order to derail and terrorize the US.
Don Cheadle in an Arabic prison.
This cast was top-notch headed by Don Cheadle as Samir Horn, a muslim who was “Special Operatiosn” in the US Armed Services. Recruited by the US for a black ops covert operation where Samir was to go deep down into the Islamic world — burrowing into terrorist cells but also those of his former countrymen who knew that his father — a Muslim– was killed in a car bombing. Others involved in this film included Guy Pearce as a serious, straight-arrow FBI agent who is convinced that Horn has turned traitor
Guy Pearce as the FBI agent searching for the terrorist cell and for Samir Horn,
— though Jeff Daniels as Horn’s contact deep undercover was the only one to know the real truth.
CAST:
Don Cheadle – Samir Horn
Saïd Taghmaoui – Omar
Aly Khan – Fareed
Raad Rawi – Nathir
Mozhan Marno – Leyla
Jeff Daniels – Carter
Guy Pearce – Ron Clayton
Neal McDonough – Max Archer
Archie Panjabi – Chandra Dawkin
Hassam Ghancy – Bashir
Adeel Akhtar – Hamzi
Writers;
Story by Steve Martin
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Producers
Steve Martin Executive Producer
Ashok Amritraj Executive Producer
Arlene Gibbs Executive Producer
Kay Liberman Executive Producer
David Hoberman Producer
Todd Lieberman Producer
Don Cheadle Producer
Jeffrey Silver Producer
Glynis Murray Producer (London)
Richard Schlesinger Co-Producer
Steve Gaub Associate Producer
Anjalika Nigam Associate Producer
What was so interesting and captivating about the film was that the cast and crew worked hard to keep this movie authentic– working on three continents: Africa, USA and Europe and using as much of the natural landscape in Africa and Europe as possible to keep the thriller taut and you on the edge of your seat.
This movie is definitely skewed to the current climate of today but it’s told from a different perspective — that of Samir Horn and how and what he is doing. He questions himself every step of the way to try and find his best way out — yet also be true to his own beliefs and his mission- unbeknownst to either side that is working with him and wonders if he is potentially a traitor.
The point of the story is not that Islamics are terrorists but that often the terrorists are not religious fantatics but those seeking a geo-political mission or control over a region — in other words power over others and the ability to drive them to commit actions that are generally viewed as wrong but accomplish the goals of the men in power.
This is a super movie. I walked out of that theater thinking of this for days. I still remember the grinding in my stomach as I thought of the people being killed in bombings in which Samir and others were involved in– and then series of events that leads up to an ending that makes it abundantly clear what is really going on.
Pearce and Cheadle are great opponents and actually in their roles understand what the other is — and what their rationale and thinking is. Horn is not sure what direction he is going in but he doesn’t trust the US government any more than he trusts the terrorists.
It’s an audatious movie and one that all involved should be proud that they were able to make — because it truly made a statement.
Cover Art
Official Traitor Trailer
A great movie to rent, it’s even better to own because it will better explain the situation in the mid-east to various age groups and you will see that for most people, they are much like us– they just want to live in peace.
Find it at amazon.com and other major electronics and mass market stores.
Stevie Wilson
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