Review of The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013) by Patrick L — 28 Oct 2013
"A complex and intelligent political thriller".
DVD Movie Review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Date Viewed: October 27 2013.
Directed By Mira Nair (Vanity Fair, The Namesake and Amelia).
Screenplay By William Wheeler, Screen Story by Mohsin Hamid and Ami Boghani, Based on the novel by Mohsin Hamid.
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber and Kiefer Sutherland.
"The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is thoughtful, complex and intelligent thriller that shows us compelling look at post-9/11 racism in America. "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" begins in 2011 where an American journalist and named Bobby (Liev Schreiber) is sent to Lahore, Pakistan to interview a Pakistani professor named Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed). Bobby (who's actually an undercover CIA informant) believes that Changez may have connections with the kidnapping of an American professor named Anse Rainier (Gary Richardson).
"The Reluctant Fundamentalist" also tells the story of Changez's previous life in America. Fresh from getting a scholarship at Princeton University, Changez gets a job at a Wall Street valuation firm named Underwood Samson run by his boss Jim Cross (Kiefer Sutherland). Changez also meets and falls in love with an American photographer named Erica (Kate Hudson).
Director Mira Nair (The Namesake) does a great job of sympathizing Changez. He's an American immigrant who absolutely wants to have a life in America even though he might be in danger of being racially profiled. When he lands in New York, he gets detained by authorities and gets strip-searched. Later, his tires get slashed and a passing motorist calls you "Osama". Changez is the most fascinating character in this movie and Riz Ahmed (a British actor of Pakistani heritage) is terrific in this part.
After years of idiotic, stupid romantic comedies, it's nice to see Kate Hudson back. Even though her character has a melodramatic back story that seems borrowed from another movie, Hudson is really believable as an American photographer. Kiefer Sutherland also gives a good performance as Changez's American boss.
It may not a great political thriller but "The Reluctant Fundementalist" is one of the more thought-provoking movies of the year.
This review of The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013) was written by Patrick L on 28 Oct 2013.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist has generally received positive reviews.
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