TRACKING DOWN A TERRORIST
Movies based on the craft of intelligence and espionage are particularly susceptible to the wanderings of a screenwriter’s artistic license. It’s often difficult for moviegoers to separate myth from reality because –while most people know intel gathering is not “James Bond” –few people have a clear understanding of how intelligence communities really operate, which, of course, is perfectly fine with intel agencies.
When a movie’s premise is ripped from the headlines, one has a reasonable expectation that embellishment will be minimal. With this in mind, it is surprising that the concept for “Traitor” came from comedian and wild-and-crazy guy Steve Martin and manages to stay so believable.
In “Traitor,” Don Cheadle (“Ocean’s 11,” “Hotel Rwanda”) paints a stirring portrait of Samir Horn, a Sudanese-born Muslim American conflicted among his loyalties and duties to country, religion and self. But the answer to “Who is Samir Horn?” is complex, unravels slow-
ly and is perhaps never fully resolved. Indeed, when Horn covertly visits his girlfriend in Chicago midway through the movie and she questions him about allegations that he’s involved with terrorists he responds, “The truth is, it’s complicated,” which remains the movie’s maxim.
Horn is introduced as an explosives expert trying to sell a load of Semtex to a terrorist group in Yemen when he is arrested during a raid. FBI agents Clayton and Archer (Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough) offer to spring him in exchange for information. Instead, Horn flees with his new pal Omar in a brazen jail escape and links up with Omar’s international terrorist network, which has big plans for Horn’s expertise. The revelation that there is a deeply rooted terrorist sleeper cell in the heart of the United States will hit close to home given this area’s Lackawanna Six connection. All the while Horn is dogged by the agents’ persistent investigation.
As spy thrillers go, “Traitor” is an example of correct usage of intelligence tools and concepts to create a compelling and intriguing narrative. There’s foreign liaison between the FBI and its counterparts in France, Spain and elsewhere. When it’s clear there’s a mole in the FBI leaking information, counterintelligence goes into effect. While Horn is being recruited by the terrorist group, he’s constantly vetted and validated to prove his trustworthiness. There’s lots of intelligence tradecraft in the form of cracking encryption, electronic surveillance and phone tapping. The only implausible moment comes when a veteran CIA case officer (Jeff Daniels) makes an unforgivable rookie mistake at a clandestine meeting.
The intelligence angle on its own wouldn’t be enough to carry the movie’s 110 minutes, so it tackles several moral/ethical subplots. Some of the most topical issues under public debate including torture (or, “harsh interrogation methods” depending on your stance), racial profiling, fear mongering and xenophobia are briefly touched on with aplomb. Horn’s inner turmoil over his rogue status and the motivation behind suicide bombings are the movie’s main psychological focal points. The relationships between Horn and Omar and Clayton and Archer feel real and lifelike.
The movie delves deep into the underworld of radical Islam. It follows a terrorist network’s money trail, and as the movie hopscotches around the world it highlights just how nebulous the network is. It’s a tall order to handle all this subject matter deftly, yet bluntly. But “Traitor” does it well and is a tribute to the spy genre so easily abused.
Movie Review
“Traitor” ★★★ (Out of four) Rated: PG-13
Starring Don Cheadle, Archie Panjabi, Guy Pearce, Lorena Gale and Raad Rawi. Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff. 110 minutes. Now playing in area theaters.
