I’ll say this much for Traitor: I think it’s a gutsy move bringing a film like this to the cinema in our current politically-charged environment. Will it prove successful? I have my doubts; but ultimately this film’s fate is in the hands—and wallets—of the audience.

Samir Horn is a former U.S. Army special operative with an expertise in explosives. Now a civilian, he’s been kicking around various global hotspots selling weapons and training to whoever will pay for them. He crosses paths with FBI agent Roy Clayton when he gets caught up in a raid on suspected terrorist targets in a foreign country.

Samir ultimately escapes captivity, but now he’s on the American government’s radar screen and it’s looking more and more like he’s involved in a series of bombings that Clayton is investigating. The pressure is on as the trail leads Samir’s pursuers back to American soil where a major terrorist attack seems to be coming to fruition.

On first glance the plot here appears to be somewhat formulaic—and to a degree that’s certainly true. What Traitor manages to do well is something I haven’t seen much of recently: putting a human face on the people labeled as terrorists. The opening act, for instance, provides a fairly respectful, apparently well-researched Islamic viewpoint on the global war of terror.

The main combatants on both sides are far from the cardboard cutouts one typically finds in this type of thriller lately. The approach really does show how murky this sort of war can be, and lends credence to the movie’s tagline, “The truth is complicated.”

Unfortunately, this also complicates the pace of the movie causing things to drag occasionally. There are a few tense moments, but this is far from an action flick. What generally keeps it watchable is the acting. Academy Award-nominated actor Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn and I found him a pleasure to watch. His pursuer, FBI agent Clayton, is also well performed by Guy Pearce. The supporting performances are equally good, overall.

Frankly, I enjoyed the first two thirds of this movie; and if the production team could have brought it home with a fitting final act, I think this would have been halfway decent film. Given how things went in the early going I’m a little puzzled why that didn’t happen. I can only chalk it up to a misplaced philosophy intended to leave the audience feeling positive and upbeat the end of the experience.

As a result, instead of a powerful message about belief and sacrifice we get a climactic moment that left the audience I watched with literally laughing out loud. In another movie, that might have been appropriate—but it was completely out of place here. Disappointing, to say the least.

In the end, Traitor winds up being a fairly thoughtful look at some of the issues and causes of terrorism backed up by a strong cast. Unfortunately, a lack of thrills and a weak resolution fail to deliver the goods.

Traitor is rated PG-13 for “intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language.” I would say that’s a pretty accurate rating.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Michael attended a promotional screening of Traitor.