Project-Blu ‘Traitor’ Review, by Nate Boss

Traitor

By: Nate Boss, 12.23.2008

The Movie Itself:
  Political espionage films have all somewhat adapted post-9/11 into a mishmash of anti-terrorism drama, and who can blame them? The world changed that day, and with it, so did the taste of the general public. How many films have been made fairly recently about the Cold War (save for the excellent Thirteen Days)? The only real downside is that some films get immediately dated, and lose their ability to appeal as they age.  

Traitor is a film that rides the current tails of popular political/social intrigue, but does a good job of presenting the cause and effect of each character involved, rather than just throw a random muslim extremist in the fray for sake of convenience. We get to see, as the film depicts, at least, what makes the characters tick, what drives them to their actions. While it does not reach the depths of The War Within (which is by far the greatest film about terrorism), nor it’s hyper realism, Traitor presents a different take on terrorism, showing multiple sides to the villains of the film. Sadly, Traitor isn’t perfect, as it shows a side to the extremists that would never exist under any circumstances.  

Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda) plays Samir Horn, a devout muslim whose father was killed in a car bomb when he was a child as he watched. Horn, as he grows older, becomes linked to extremist groups, and is apprehended during a sale of detonators to an Islamic terrorist group. Associates of the terror group break out their detained co-conspirators and Horn, and they stay on the run from the law, while attacking American targets. But Horn isn’t who he seems, as his intentions are questionable and curious, and to whom his loyalties ultimately lie are a mystery. FBI agent Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) is constantly on his trail, but cannot comprehend the truth behind Horn’s actions until it may be too late.   

Horn and Clayton’s cat and mouse game plays very similar to the Nic Cage/Ethan Hawke element in Lord of War, but with much higher stakes. The funny thing is, Traitor could have survived without the Clayton character, following Horn’s character arc, unlike Lord of War, which relies on point/counterpoint between the two characters on opposite ends of the law.

The biggest downer in this film is that some of the terrorist characters are written to be very dull and stupid, and the film portrays the United States role in the fight against terror in an very insulting way. No foreign country is portrayed as strong, or even cooperative, in the war against terror. The terrorists themselves are a bit one dimensional, and very degrading towards those who share their beliefs, especially in a line discussing how they blend in by drinking beer or eating pork, both against their beliefs, the latter a hell worthy offense. If the film had a more global theme, rather than a USA-centric idealistic value, then I would easily call this a brilliant film. As it stands, it is a very entertaining film that got very little attention, which I will most certainly find myself watching again. If you enjoyed The Kingdom, another anti-terrorism film on Blu-ray, then you should give Traitor a shot, as you will be pleasantly surprised.  
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
Traitor’s release to Blu-ray marks the best looking (and sounding) title that Anchor Bay/Starz have put on the format to date. The picture is very sharp (with the exception of a few late shots, which, thankfully, were very short), deep, and rich in their detail. The picture is very clean, although I did notice a few white spots from time to time. The only complaint I had about the picture was that whites ran a bit hot, and were a bit painful to view. Colors can run from being vibrant to muted, but it’s part of the movie’s design, and the aesthetic choices work wonders. This is great material, overall.  

The sound design for Traitor is pretty damn good too. The soundtrack is the predominant utilizer of the rear speakers, but there are plenty moments of gunfire that engage across all speakers. Dialog is clear, in all of the languages in the film. My only complaint is that explosions lacked a bit of bass rumble.
Rating: 8/10

The Extras:
There is an Audio Commentary with writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and actor Don Cheadle. This track is accessible through the audio option of the main menu, or through the audio toggle on your remote. There is an interesting conversation about seeing the film cold (ie without seeing the trailer), vs seeing it after seeing the trailer, in regards to how you relate to Cheadle’s character and his motives. This track does have quite a few gaps in coverage, but plenty of anecdotes.

Two featurettes are included, including Action! (4 min), which feels very much like a montage of the action scenes in the film, only with behind the scenes footage and some interviews mixed in, and International Espionage (5 min), a quick look at the diverse locations where filming was done, including Morocco and Marseille, which sadly doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface of what could have been covered. Next up is a Theatrical Trailer (2 min) which, as mentioned in the commentary, will make you view the film very differently if you see it before seeing the movie. There are also Previews (6 min) of other Anchor Bay titles on or coming to Blu-ray, including Henry Poole is Here, The Visitor, and Sleepwalking. Traitor is BD-Live Enabled, which as of the posting of this review, does not have all it’s features online. There are 6 trailers (4 of which are already on the disc, the extra titles are Righteous Kill and Mad Money), and a Special Features tab that still says COMING SOON, despite the disc being for sale for over a week. Lastly, there is a second disc containing a Digital Copy of the movie.
Rating: 4/10

Overall:
Chances are you are like I was, interested in this film due to the cast, curious as to whether to pick it up. I’m definitely happy with this purchase, as Traitor definitely exceeded my blind buy expectations with an amazing performance by Cheadle (does he provide any other kind?), and very strong audio and video. At least give this one a rental if you’re still on the fence.
Rating: 7/10