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Harvey Karten's Reviews

Review: Rendition

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#1 of 1 Posted 10/2/07 10:46 PM

From harveykarten Posts 798 Last Feb-7
To All [Msg # 22676.1 ]

RENDITION

Reviewed for CompuServe by Harvey S. Karten
New Line Cinema
Grade: B
Directed by:    Gavin Hood
Written By: Kelley Sane
Cast:   Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard, Omar Metwally, Igal Naor,
Moa Khouas, Zineb Oukach, Meryl Streep, JK Simmons
Screened at: Macklowe, NYC, 10/2/07
Opens: October 19, 2007

The standard comeback to a person who believes that the United States should never use torture is, “Would you not be willing to torture a guy who probably has information about an upcoming attack that could kill 1,000 civilians, thereby saving the innocent folks from death and injuries?” Some philosophers and professors have concurred with the need for extreme punishment in these cases, while others, more to the left like members of Amnesty International, think that the U.S. should never under any circumstances harm a prisoner physically for information. Most thinking people going into a theater playing “Rendition” will assume that Kelley Sane, who wrote the script, and Gavin Hood, who directs the movie, take the liberal line: that torture is never justified. However, play close attention (Key name: Omar–a minor character who is arrested as a terror suspect)–and you’ll see that even “Rendition” evokes shades of gray.

The title refers usually to the practice of sending a wanted suspect from one American state to the one in which a crime was committed. Example: Guy robs a bank in New York and flees to New Jersey. That custom is usually referred (incorrectly) as extradition. For purposes of this film, however, extreme rendition refers to a alleged custom of sending an American terror suspect outside the geographical limits of the United States to another country where torture is routinely utilized.

“Rendition,” which was filmed by Dion Beebe in South Africa, California, Washington, and principally in southern Morocco’s famed city of Marrakesh, has a melodramatic script whose potential bombast is played down, mercifully, by director Gavin Hood. The story opens with a blast in “some North African country” which kills a CIA operative leaving his partner, a freshman agent named Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal), alive to pursue an investigation into the devastation. Freeman, undoubtedly the mouthpiece for scripter Kelly Sane, has not yet been hardened to the extreme lengths that the CIA would go through to destroy terror networks wherever they may be. He bears witness to water-boarding and electric shocks administered to one Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) while the poor man is stripped of all his clothing, all under the supervision of ace Arabic interrogator, Abasi Falwal (Igal Naor). The CIA has good reason to suspect him, though he is a well-paid, Chicago-based chemical engineer with a pregnant, non-Arabic wife, Isabella El-Ibrahimi (Reese Witherspoon) and young son. Isabella frantically seeks help from an ex boy-friend, Alan Smith (Peter Sarsgaard) who just happens to be the chief of staff of Senator Hawkins (Alan Arkin) who in turn is close with the Corrinne Whitman (Meryl Streep), the head of CIA’s anti-terror unit.

Once again, as is traditional in American political melodramas, a powerful agency of the U.S. government is crammed with villains, though this time the CIA has one good guy who would probably be hardened to extra-legal tactics after a while on the job. The story is loaded with coincidences, but belief can be and should be suspended. Meryl Streep does a terrific take-off on her role as Miranda Priestly, the officious boss of a top designer in David Frankel’s “The Devil Wore Prada,” proving that a woman can be even tougher than the men in ordering torture–so long as it’s outside the U.S.

A thrill-seeking crowd may be disappointed that only two explosions are set off, and the structure of the movie is confusing right until the final few minutes. Nor did we need to see the smooching between young Khalid (Moa Khouas) and Fatima (Zineb Oukach), the girlfriend who wants to marry him despite the insistence of her father that her wedlock has been arranged with another.   Further, Reese Witherspoon has little of interest to do other than look pregnant and scream at a senator and a CIA operative.   Marrakesh provides solid atmosphere (probably photographed at the Jma el-Ifna, the principal marketplace and entertainment center of the southern Moroccan town) while costume desitner Michael Wilkinson probably had more time off than he usually does since Omar Metwally’s character is generally in his own, self-designed birthday suit. Interestingly the role of the chief Arab interrogator is played by Igal Naor, an Israeli actor.

Rated R.    122 minutes   © 2007 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online

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Harvey Karten's Reviews

Review: Rendition

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