At least given the circumstances such as those in the movie, when you do not know whether the suspect is innocent or guilty but you want to believe that he is guilty...would it then be right to torture this person until he cracks and yields to your belief even if it is under the name of justice, freedom and democracy? Anwar El_Ibrahimi is an American (of Egyptian descent) who has a well-paying respectable job, an American wife and a clean record but even that is not enough to free him from the suspect list because of a phone number that was found on his cell phone. Upon landing in America, he is immediately flown to Egypt (they do not even try him in the states) because America does not allow torture. He is humiliated. He is dehumanized. He is brutally tortured and stripped of dignity, courage and self worth... and yet they find no solid evidence that links him to the bombing.
About a month ago I was clearing up some old newspapers and happened to see an ad of the movie. It had an interesting cast and title. I had never heard of it before and decided to give it a chance. It seemed to be one of the run-of-the-mill thrillers but 'Rendition' is far from that. This is one powerful movie that tackles a very serious theme and raises questions but at the same time it is an engaging intricate thriller. Gavin Hood does a marvelous job. He gives an unbiased portrayal of the Americans and Egyptians even though I wish he would have explored the terrorists' mindset a little more for they are portrayed under a slightly stereotypical light.
'Rendition' is quite well shot. The Egyptian locations look raw and exotic. The background score is eclectic. I also liked the use of a warmer tint in the Egyptian scenes and a colder tint for the American scenes. The jump cuts and shots from different angles work well. The story telling is solid and nonlinear.
I don't think the cast could get any better than this. The performances are overall excellent: Starting with a heartbreaking Omar Metwally, an ambivalent Jake Gyllenhal, a distraught Reese Witherspoon, a hateful Meryl Streep, a chilling Yigal Naor, a naive Zineb Oukach, an opportunist Alan Arkin and a concerned Peter Sarsgaard.
I am shocked at how so many people did not get the movie as the story is straightforward and many keep wondering whether Anwar was actually innocent while others are quick to say that he was indeed guilty. Many were even supporting the torture because he wasn't of American origin and because this kind of thing happens in Egypt anyway etc etc. This movie is not for such immature people and it does not take a rocket scientist to show that Anwar WAS innocent. 'Rendition' is a disturbing film to watch but it is one that must be seen as it provokes a lot of strong themes that many would not dare to question.
About a month ago I was clearing up some old newspapers and happened to see an ad of the movie. It had an interesting cast and title. I had never heard of it before and decided to give it a chance. It seemed to be one of the run-of-the-mill thrillers but 'Rendition' is far from that. This is one powerful movie that tackles a very serious theme and raises questions but at the same time it is an engaging intricate thriller. Gavin Hood does a marvelous job. He gives an unbiased portrayal of the Americans and Egyptians even though I wish he would have explored the terrorists' mindset a little more for they are portrayed under a slightly stereotypical light.
'Rendition' is quite well shot. The Egyptian locations look raw and exotic. The background score is eclectic. I also liked the use of a warmer tint in the Egyptian scenes and a colder tint for the American scenes. The jump cuts and shots from different angles work well. The story telling is solid and nonlinear.
I don't think the cast could get any better than this. The performances are overall excellent: Starting with a heartbreaking Omar Metwally, an ambivalent Jake Gyllenhal, a distraught Reese Witherspoon, a hateful Meryl Streep, a chilling Yigal Naor, a naive Zineb Oukach, an opportunist Alan Arkin and a concerned Peter Sarsgaard.
I am shocked at how so many people did not get the movie as the story is straightforward and many keep wondering whether Anwar was actually innocent while others are quick to say that he was indeed guilty. Many were even supporting the torture because he wasn't of American origin and because this kind of thing happens in Egypt anyway etc etc. This movie is not for such immature people and it does not take a rocket scientist to show that Anwar WAS innocent. 'Rendition' is a disturbing film to watch but it is one that must be seen as it provokes a lot of strong themes that many would not dare to question.