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When I first saw the trailer for Traitor, I thought that fall was coming early. A dramatic action film with Don Cheadle on the run from the government sounded more like an October award-contending release than an end-of-summer throwaway. But, as it turns out, the person who scheduled Traitor for August release was right—because it’s just another ho-hum August adventure.
Traitor is the story of Samir Horn (Cheadle), a Sudanese-American who, as a child in the Sudan, watched as his devout Muslim father was killed by a car bomb. Samir then spent most of his life in the States before joining the US military. He had a girlfriend and a good job, and he seemed to live a pretty normal life—until, one day, he just disappeared.
Samir attracts the FBI’s attention when he’s caught selling bombs to terrorists in Yemen. Two agents arrive in Yemen to try to convince Samir to work with them, but he refuses to give them any information, preferring prison to giving up his sources.
While he’s in prison, he befriends Omar (Saϊd Taghmaoui), a young terrorist who’s eager to bring Samir into his organization. But after the two escape from prison—and Samir begins to help Omar plan bombings around the world—FBI Agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) is never far behind.
Though Traitor may attempt to give a face—and a voice—to peace-loving Muslims, it gets too caught up in clichés to make a solid point. Samir could be a fascinating character, but he isn’t really developed enough. For the most part, viewers get to know him as the FBI agents do—through quick snippets of his past and interviews with his mother, his girlfriend, and his former boss. And that’s just not enough to make you really care about him.
Instead of developing an interesting character and telling a thought-provoking story, Traitor gets caught up in propaganda and paranoia—not to mention some seriously mixed messages. Fortunately, I learned long ago not to believe everything I see on the big screen. Else, I probably would have left the theater and rushed straight home, afraid to leave the security of my basement ever again. After all, according to movies like this one, I live in a country where there are crazed terrorists hiding around every corner (and on every bus)—and where the government agencies have such pathetic security that each morsel of information leaks directly to every terrorist organization in the world. And, as if that weren’t bad enough, those agencies employ nothing but stupid, violent racists—and there’s just one smart agent with a heart of pure gold who’s seeking the truth.
Okay…so maybe my expectations were just too high. Maybe I was looking for award-worthy performances, blockbuster action, and thoughtful drama. But that’s only because Traitor could have been both thrilling and thoughtful. Instead, it’s sometimes preachy and often overcooked. The characters are either underdeveloped or flat and cliché. And the story’s just been done too many times before.
As far as action movies go, Traitor could be much worse. But if you’re looking for a smart thriller, it’s best to wait until fall.
