The Rocket

Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: Focus

Brian McCumsey

Media Credit: MCT Campus Don Cheadle proves to be one of the best actors in Hollywood with his role in "Traitor." [Click to enlarge]

Ladies and gentlemen - the best film of the year [so far] has arrived - and that film is "Traitor."

"Traitor's" plot kept me guessing - it twists and turns, winds and weaves, and leaves the viewer breathless during its closing act.

I went into this movie with absolutely no knowledge of the plot. I had read nothing about it, seen no previews, and didn't even know the basics of what it was about. I've never had a movie experience like that before because I always find out information about a movie before I see it. I want you to be able to experience this movie like I did, so my desire is to leave any information on the plot of the movie out of this review. You can rest assured this review will contain no spoilers.

"Traitor" is about terrorism. The story centers on how the FBI is tracking a terrorist organization that is responsible for several atrocities. The FBI tracks the organization to several different countries around the world in hopes of stopping a massive attack on the United States.

The first reason I believe that "Traitor" is the best film of the year thus far is because of the script. This is easily one of the best-written movies I've watched. One of the things I struggle with in movies is how they portray the "good guys" and the "bad guys." Last semester, I reviewed the movie "Rambo" and discussed how frustrated I felt when a movie seemingly asks us to hate a whole group of people, basically demonizing them so that we will feel a sense of euphoria when they are finally dealt with.

"Traitor" is a different film; there definitely are "good guys" and "bad guys," but the lines aren't drawn quite as clearly. It doesn't demonize the "bad guys," but shows them as human beings, which actually made the fear and dread more real.

The writers could've gone the easy route; they could've made this an all out action film. Instead, they took their time to develop characters, help us understand the motives of both sides, and they asked us questions that challenged our way of thinking. Actually, if you go into this movie hoping for a huge action fest, you'll most likely leave disappointed.

The second thing that made this movie work was the acting. Don Cheadle ("Ocean's 11, 12, 13," "Crash") is one of the best actors in Hollywood, and he proves it with each and every role. If you haven't seen his performance in "Hotel Rwanda," stop reading this review and go rent it now! Once again, I'm hesitant to give you any specifics of Cheadle's character for fear that I'll give too much away.

The main two supporting characters are played by Guy Pearce ("Memento," "The Count of Monte Cristo") and Said Taghmaoui ("The Kite Runner," "Vantage Point"). I have seen Pearce in other roles, and outside of "Memento," I've never seen him as good as this. He, along with the writers, gave his character (FBI Agent Roy Clayton) some depth in what could've been a one-dimensional throwaway role.

Taghmaoui does an amazing job with his character. Since this isn't secret plot information, I will say that he plays one of the main "bad guys" named Omar. What he's able to pull off is quite impressive. While I disagreed with his actions completely, I sympathized with him at the end. I saw him as a human being who was used and led astray by others.

This movie really is that good. It informs us, challenges us and entertains us. What more could we ask for?



RENTAL PICK

"Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden" is an informative and humorous documentary by Morgan Spurlock. Spurlock was last seen gorging himself on McDonald's food in the movie "Super-size Me." If you are looking to learn a little bit more about the conflict in the Middle East in an oddly entertaining way, this movie is definitely for you.

Brian McCumsey is a senior history major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.