Movie Review: Rendition

September 9, 2007 by Liam
Filed under: Movie News, Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Rendition Rendition follows the story of Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), his wife Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), the government agent responsible for his detention (Meryl Streep) and the CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is put in charge of Ibrahimi’s torture. As the movie begins, we are introduced to Ibrahimi who is on his way home from a business conference in South Africa. He speaks with Isabella by phone and confirms what time his flight should be arriving. However, when she and their son get to the airport to pick him up, he’s not there. Unbeknownst to her, Ibrahimi was detained shortly after getting off the flight. Concerned, Isabella goes home and makes the necessary calls. According to South African officials, he got on the plane. According to the United States, he never arrived, and was therefore never on the flight. Upon further investigation, Isabella finds that her husband used his credit card while in the air. Armed with this evidence she seeks the assistance of an old college friend (Peter Sarsgaard) who is now an aide to a senator (Alan Arkin). It is here that she learns the truth – that her husband was detained as a possible terror suspect and is now being held in an overseas prison.

The reason for Ibrahimi’s detention? Well, as the movie begins, we witness a bombing in a crowded city square somewhere in the Middle East. A phone once used by the person believed to be responsible for the attack has been linked to phone calls made to Ibrahimi’s cell phone. With only that shred of evidence, Ibrahimi is held and tortured for further information. Overseeing the torture is Jake Gyllenhaal, who landed in the job only when his superior was killed in the same terror attack. He’s young and naive and questions whether Ibrahimi is guilty or just a victim of circumstance. The movie also follows the story of a man named Abassi (Yigal Naor) who carries out Ibrahimi’s torture and his daughter who is romantically linked to a man who, unbeknownst to her, is a member of the terror cell responsible for the attack.

This is the first movie I saw at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. Unfortunately, it was a wrong way to start the festival. Although I found the story to be somewhat interesting, I just wasn’t buying it. I’m sure this sort of stuff happens more than we’d like to think, I just don’t think the film did a great job of telling this particular story. First, as much as I hate to say it, I had a pretty big problem with Reese Witherspoon’s character. As much as I love her, her performance here just didn’t do it for me. Perhaps it was the limitation of her character. Are we really meant to believe that she’d go to a senator’s aide (who it seems, although it isn’t confirmed, they were previously romantically linked) and hit a brick wall and that’s it? She has a big confrontation with the person responsible for her husband’s disappearance (Streep) and that’s all? Why not go to the media? It seems she tried one avenue and that’s all. If your husband was illegally detained as a possible terror suspect wouldn’t you raise a little more hell than that? Yes, I understand that she’s several months pregnant in the movie, but is that really an excuse. And for being several months pregnant, should she really be walking around in high heels all the time? I have a couple of kids and I know for a fact that comfortable footwear in those final months of pregnancy are essential. High heels?

And Jake Gyllenhaal’s character was another issue for me. I mean, the guy is a CIA man, with a heart. Does such a thing exist?! Doesn’t the CIA try to weed people like this out? The guy sympathizes with a possible terror suspect. I applaud that, I just don’t find it very plausible. Finally, the Meryl Streep character I found to be a little wasted. We never really learn why she’s such a bitch.

On the flip side, I give kudos to everyone in the cast who DIDN’T portray an American. Although I’m sure the relationship between Isabella and her husband was supposed to provide the film’s emotional center, I found myself drawn to the story of Abassi, his daughter and her terrorist boyfriend. (Although I found the attempt at a little twist ending involving the terror attack to be either unnecessary or improperly executed.)

My final beef about this film would be the ending. Again, maybe it’s because I wasn’t buying the story, but I felt the final scene of the movie should have packed more of an emotional punch. Instead, I just shrugged and left the theater. Maybe I really am a heartless bastard like everyone keeps telling me. I guess you’ll have to see the movie yourself to decide.

I’m not gonna blame the actors for the failure of this movie. Clearly, with so much talent involved, they couldn’t have all gone wrong. Instead, I look to the filmmakers who put together a story that really lacked heart. Perhaps in movie-land there should be some sort of “rendition” policy where people are held and tortured for making bad movies. If such a thing exists, might I suggest that someone be waiting at the airport in Hollywood after the Toronto Film Festival to take the people responsible for this movie into custody. (5 out of 10)