Extraordinary Rendition (2007)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Jim Threapleton

Writer:

Jim Threapleton (writer)

Release Date:

August 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A man is abducted from the streets of London and transported via secret flights to an unknown country...

Plot Keywords:

Extraordinary Rendition | Torture

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Omar Berdouni	...	Zaafir
Andy Serkis	...	The Interrogator
Ania Sowinski	...	Ewa
Jimmy Yuill	...	Dean
Hugh Ross	...	Solicitor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ehti Aslam	...	University Student
Nick Bartlett	...	Sergei Illyich
Emilio Doorgasingh	...	Guard
Greg Edwards	...	Zaafir's Father (as Ham Zanoun)
Davood Ghadami	...	Guard
Rami Hilmi	...	Guard 'Khaalid'
Luke Ireland	...	University Student
Munir Khairdin	...	Interrogator's Colleague
Goran Kostic	...	Radovan
Julian Lee	...	Officer
Angus Lindsay	...	Security Guard
Roddy McDevitt	...	Dan
Aleksander Mikic	...	Ante
Naoufal Ousellam	...	Zaafir's Brother
Laurence Possa	...	Octavian
Tony Price	...	Zaafir's Guard
Paul Viragh	...	Abductor
Zamira Wicking	...	Zaafir's Mother

Also Known As:

Rendition (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

UK:77 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Australia:MA (2008) | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Ultrafilm

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Zaafir is reciting dates of important historical events he says "Spanish Armada 1558." The date should be 1588.

Movie Connections:

References Nine Hours to Rama (1963)

Soundtrack:

The Clock

Challenging Stuff

This is a very good film that deals with an extremely challenging issue in a though provoking and humane way. This movie from first time director Jim Threapleton (I knew I recognised the name, him being the ex partner of Kate Winslett) is not easy viewing as it is not meant to be. The film is the story of Zaafir (an excellent Omar Berdouni) a university lecturer who deals with contentious issues such as democracy coming out of periods of violence and is also involved in programmes that promote learning in the Islamic world. Zaafir is suddenly taken of the streets by unnamed US and British agents and then transferred to an unnamed county to be questioned / tortured all in the name of justice. The torturer in chief is never named as they would not be but is played excellently by Andy Serkiss with the right amount of evil and malice mixed with the compassion he needs to draw information. The torture sequences are rightly hard to watch and you begin to see how confessions gained in such conditions truly are worthless. The film is well directed and the editing serves the story well switching from before the kidnapping tgo after the kidnapping to show how the events not only affect Zaafir bit all those close to him especially his partner. Indeed some of the scenes between them the dialogue is intentionally very low in the mix as the raw emotions of the torture play out. Highly recommended.