Review of Rendition (2007) by Nathan H — 20 Mar 2009

It seems like every new Iraq/Terrorism movie tries to one-up the last by juggling more storylines and trying to showcase how so many people are involved in and affected by something so seemingly simple (and individualistic) as a suicide bombing. Remember the labyrinthine film "Syriana" (which I had to watch twice before I understood what the hell was happening), and "Babel" and "Lions For Lambs" and "The Kingdom," and any number of other films that try to make a huge political/cultural statement about terrorism and the War on Terror?

"Rendition" is technically a fine film, at times frustrating and emotional: a man is suspected of terrorism, and is shipped overseas to a secret interrogation, where he is tortured, while his American wife can find out nothing about what has happened to him. We are led to believe that this very torture will produce nothing of value, and will actually lead to the acts of terrorism of which the suspect is accused (but of which he is innocent). Hence, the film adopts an interesting structural strategy (out of chronological order) to show how innocent people, tortured, can now be motivated to terrorism. The movie is slick, well-shot, and well-acted.

At the same time, though, I just feel like I've seen it before. I feel like I've heard the speeches that these characters make. I feel like full scenes could very well have been adapted from New York Times editorials.

When this movie focuses on the characters, and how the characters are affected, it is very moving. When it tries to make statements, it is heavy-handed and obvious, and sacrifices humanity for a thesis statement. All in all, worth seeing...but I'd rather watch a documentary on the subject.