Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Rendition
2007
***
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Meryl Streep, Omar Metwally, J.K. Simmons, Zineb Oukach, Moa Khouas, Yigal Naor

Extraordinary rendition refers to the abduction and transport of terrorist suspects to countries which condone torture. After a suicide bombing kills a CIA agent in North Africa, the U.S. authorities render an Egyptian-born chemical engineer on flimsy evidence, while his pregnant American wife tries to locate him. A young CIA analyst suffers a crisis of conscience as he observes the brutal interrogation by the local police chief, whose own daughter has gone missing. This entertaining political drama provides Hollywood moviemaking at its most frustrating. The film takes a contentious, complex topic and over-simplifies and trivialises the issue to make it digestible. It also tells a shockingly believable personal story but gives it a sugarcoated ending. The cast is great, though.