Rendition

Directed by Gavin Hood

New Line Cinema

2 Stars



“Rendition” aspires to be a polarizing film that audiences will discuss long after they leave the theater. Unfortunately, in trying to deliver both an intense thriller and a meaningful political drama, Oscar-winning director Gavin Hood fails to create either, and instead supplies a film far from thoughtful or controversial.

To be fair, the film deserves credit for being the first major motion picture to focus on the United States’ policy of so-called “extraordinary rendition.” The policy allows for the transfer of detained individuals to another country where the laws regarding their treatment—including the use of torture—may differ from those of the United States. Extremely relevant in today’s post-9/11 atmosphere, exploring the topic through cinema is an admirable notion.

“Rendition” develops three interconnected storylines. Isabella (Reese Witherspoon) desperately searches for her husband Anwar (Omar Metwally), a Egyptian-born chemical engineer who has been kidnapped by the CIA under questionable pretenses; inexperienced CIA analyst Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggles to torture a man he believes is innocent; and, in a seemingly unrelated thread, the daughter of an Egyptian, CIA-sanctioned torturer rebels against her traditionalist father by falling in love with a radical student whose personal life remains a mystery.

The film disappoints in its attempts at being a character-driven drama. The players serve as little more than well-established stereotypes, from the anguished pregnant wife who will stop at nothing to discover what has happened to her husband, to the green CIA operative with a conscience.

And though individual performances are effective, few are memorable—a frustrating fact, given the many Academy Award nominees in the large cast. Meryl Streep’s flat role, in particular, is utterly thankless, as nothing makes her merciless CIA executive the least bit interesting or human. The only actor to shine beyond the constraints of the tired script is Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Witherspoon’s college friend and former lover. Unlike most characters in the film, Saarsgard grapples with moral quandaries in a relatable way, and the actor distinguishes himself in what could have been little more than a supporting role.

The film’s biggest problem, however, lies in the foregone conclusion that Anwar is innocent. From the start, it is clear that the CIA has abducted the wrong man; consequently, Anwar’s explicitly unfair torture leaves no gray area to explore. If he had ties to terrorists in even an accidental way, Hood’s depiction of torture—and the question of its use—would raise interest and spark debate. As it is, the only statement the movie makes is that torturing innocent citizens is wrong: Hardly a revolutionary assertion.

In one heavy-handed scene, Hood splices shots of CIA torturers stripping Anwar of his clothes with scenes from a radical religious service where attendees are commanded to destroy the infidels. The abundantly clear parallel between the two extremes provides one example of Hood’s reluctance to probe into complex issues.

The storyline of Falwal’s daughter and her relationship with the young radical will likely upset some viewers, though it is undoubtedly the high point of the film. Whether or not one has the patience to emotionally invest in these characters will determine whether the twist that ends their story is meaningful or simply another case of unnecessary cinematic sleight of hand. Regardless, this storyline stands out: The viewers are not told exactly what to think, and the motivations of the characters are not so black and white.

Perhaps if Hood had chosen to extend that intrigue to the rest of the film, “Rendition” would not play like such a missed opportunity.