“Rendition” (New Line Cinema)
Ugly Americans
“Rendition” is a heavy-handed movie about the worst in America. It tells the story of how our CIA and our politicians prey upon people and subject them to torture and life-threatening situations. Although situations like this may well happen this movie makes few converts to its side. It comes across as a political thriller that bogs down in extreme themes and lifeless performances.
Isabella El Ibrahimi (Reese Witherspoon) is patiently awaiting the birth of her second child and the return of her husband Anwar (Omar Metwally) from a trip to South Africa. He telephones her and gives her the name of the plane he will be on so that she can meet him. When the plane lands Isabella can not find him. Unknown to her he has been detained by security and taken out of the terminal.
Anwar is questioned by the CIA but he can not give them the information they are seeking. The interrogator Lee Mayer (J K Simmons) tells his boss Corrine Whitman (Meryl Streep) that he has gotten no information from Anwar and she tells him to fly him out of the country to a place where he can be interrogated more forcefully.
In this new country Anwar’s interrogation is witnessed by CIA operative Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal). With every interrogation activity Freeman becomes more and more convinced of Anwar’s innocence. His reports to his boss however fall on deaf ears.
Meanwhile Isabella goes to Washington to speak with her old friend Alan Smith (Peter Sarsgaard) who is a senator’s aide. She convinces Alan that Anwar is missing, but when he talks to the senator (Alan Arkin) the man does not want to get involved.
The film moves at a decidedly slow pace, and the acting makes it seem even slower. Witherspoon does nothing but cry and yell. Any insight into her character is totally missing. But as miscast as she is, Gyllenhaal’s performance is even worse. He seems to be sleepwalking through his role. He is vague acting and totally out of it.
Streep is the only one who seems to know who and what her character is. She is crisp and cold from beginning to end. When the movie is over hers is the character you remember. Perhaps she could have given Witherspoon some clues on how to do that.
The film is rated R for violence, profanity and partial nudity.
“Rendition” is a movie that delivers its subject matter in a heavy-handed way. This approach does not appeal to the audience and turns them off rather than making them interested. Plus the acting is so bad that it all appears lifeless.
There is a lot of top talent on the screen in “Rendition” but this is one time it doesn’t pay off. Better they should have spent that money on a better script and a better director.
I scored “Rendition” a tortured 4 out of 10.
