[NYTr] Movie Review: "Rendition"

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Epoch Times/Portside via Ed Pearl - Oct 17, 2007
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-17/60866.html

Movie Review: 'Rendition'

By Amir Talai
Epoch Times New York Staff

Peter Sarsgaard's character must break bad news to his
old friend played by Reese Witherspoon concerning the
whereabouts of her missing husband in Rendition. Peter
Sarsgaard's character must break bad news to his old
friend played by Reese Witherspoon concerning the
whereabouts of her missing husband in Rendition. (New
Line Cinema)

What would you do if your spouse completely disappeared
without a trace? Welcome to the world of Isabella El-
Ibrahimi, the central character in Rendition, a new film
from director Gavin Hood ( Tsotsi ).

Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), a mother of one with
another on the way, receives a call from her husband
Anwar (Omar Metwally), confirming his plane's arrival
time for pickup after an international business trip.
She hangs up the phone only to arrive at the airport the
following day--where there's no sign of Anwar
whatsoever. She begins the agonizing process of trying
to determine his whereabouts, finding only more question
marks at every turn. The airline states there is no
record of him as a passenger on any flight and no one
knows where he is.

After her frustration from getting bounced around turns
to fear, she contacts one of her college friends, Alan
Smith (Peter Sarsgaard), an aide to a high-powered
senator, played by Alan Arkin. Smith starts asking
around among his different contacts and eventually finds
out that Anwar is suspected of aiding a known terrorist.
He has been abducted by the CIA on orders from the cold-
hearted head of the terrorism department, Corrinne
Whitman (Meryl Streep), in a policy known as
"extraordinary rendition" (abducting foreign nationals
deemed a threat to national security for detention and
interrogation in secret overseas prisons). Jake
Gyllenhaal plays a rookie CIA agent who becomes morally
conflicted with events that take place on the job in
Rendition. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a rookie CIA agent who
becomes morally conflicted with events that take place
on the job in Rendition.

While Isabella and Smith make every attempt to find out
where Anwar is being held and get official confirmation
of his detention, Anwar is subjected to severe
interrogation overseas by Abasi Fawal (Igal Naor), with
physical torture as the main negotiating tool. Wet-
behind-the-ears-rookie CIA analyst Douglas Freeman,
played by Jake Gyllenhaal, cringes with every blood-
soaking punch and suggests Fawal stops the torture
before it goes too far...

In one of the more controversial films this year,
director Gavin Hood and screenwriter Kelley Sane attempt
to answer the many questions regarding torture-laden
interrogations and the personal experience for someone
who goes through "extraordinary rendition."

Veterans Alan Arkin and Meryl Streep are on target as
usual, Jake Gyllenhaal breaks new ground with the tough
but vulnerable CIA newbie Freeman, while Sarsgaard's
turn at "good guy" Alan Smith is a change from the more
villainous roles of his past.

Certainly the standout is Reese Witherspoon as the lead.
She's extraordinary in the followup to her Academy
Award-winning role as June Carter Cash. She continues to
turn out exceptional performances, easily putting her
among the top of a very short list of 30-something
actresses.

Despite the touchy topic, Rendition keeps you on the
edge of your seat for the entire 122 minutes and sheds
light on a topic that desperately needs it.

Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.