Rendition (2007)

Directed By: Gavin Hood
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard, Omar Metwally, Moa Khouas, JK Simmons, Bob Gunton, Yigal Naor

Director Gavin Hood was responsible for the incomprehensible Oscar Winning Tsotsi two years ago. And to follow up he’s taking on the sticky subject of terrorism. In current times this issue has become quite a significant issue with Hollywood looking at the war on Terror from various differing perspectives. Here Hood tells the multiple stories of the people affected by America Rendition policy. Whereby they can extradite a suspected terrorist from America to a country of their choosing without so much as phone call to loved ones. This becomes the focus of this film as we see the effect on the lives of the suspect’s wife, the CIA decision maker, the interrogator and an American brought in to oversee said interrogation.
The film is an adequate drama looking at a subject matter which deserves attention. The only problem is, along with screenwriter Kelley Shane; we never go deeper than scratching the surface of what’s going on. To begin with Anwar El-Ibrahimi is arrested and taken out of the country after an terrorist attack in a North African city goes off. Back in America Anwar’s wife, Isabella, portrayed note perfectly by Reese Witherspoon searches for answers and the hope of seeing her husband again. In Washington Corrine Whitman, a criminally underused Meryl Streep, pulls the strings and gives the order to take Anwar. Meanwhile in the unspecified North African country Douglas is ordered to step into the interrogation to oversee it after his partner is killed in the terror blast. Once in Africa Anwar is interrogated by Abasi, the supposed intended target of the terror attack. Added to all of this is the story of Abasi daughter who has run away and is living with Khalid, a fundamentalist. Seems like a lot of narrative strands to weave together, and it is. The film feels like a skimming of the actual issue, one which deserves a much more in depth and critical analysis. Streep’s Corrine is in only a handful of scenes and together may have a mere ten minutes on screen. This time is spent making phone calls and denying everything, and so we never really to get to see the machinations of such decisions, the motivation behind it or the policies which have allowed it. Reese Witherspoon's distraught wife is one of the few stand out strands, seeking to helping of political lawyer Alan Smith, a superb Peter Sarsgaard, we begin to really appreciate the effect of this policy on the lives of real Americans. That this all comes about because of a single American casualty, Douglas Freeman’s partner, shows how arrogant and imposing American politics have become. Gyllenhaal proves yet again that he is one of Hollywood’s hottest properties as you see his range of emotion he goes through when his morality begins to outweigh his duty. His story is actually the most compelling as it is the only one which draws on both morality and duty and the difficulty to uphold both. Abasi’s interrogator is perfectly performed but barring a surprise revelation about the actual bombing lacks any real significance to the general plot. You can understand the writer’s intentions. Making a film about terrorism and including only American characters bar the suspect can feel like you’re avoiding the point, but this is a film about American politics first and foremost, and as such the film needed to sacrifice this subplot to allow greater exploration of the others.
The alternative might have been to extend the running time, but as the film failed really to deal with such a controversial and potent issue in two hours, any extension would have debilitated the film making it turgid and a slog.
As it is, Gavin Hood as only cemented my believe that he lacks the artistic and cinematic attributes to create anything above entertainment, and with such topical issues should be passing up the chance. As he for the actors, everyone is incredibly well performed and will take most if not all the plaudits for a film lacking in substance and a real desire to explore this issue.

If you enjoy acting and nothing else, this film will appeal and you’ll no doubt enjoy it too. If however you want a politically minded film which deconstructs an issue destroying families and alienating the people we should be reaching out to, then steer clear, unless you’re prepared for disappointment.