Movie Review: Traitor

"Traitor" is the kind of movie so many of us yearn to see: It's intense and intelligent, has something to say without being pedantic and presents complicated issues without condescending.

It even boasts a solid cast, led by Don Cheadle (who is also a producer) and including Guy Pearce and Jeff Daniels.

So why does this film feel more than a bit off?

Writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff takes his tale of terrorism and espionage - based on an idea from Steve Martin - and runs with it all around the world, from Sudan and Yemen to Chicago and Washington to London and Marseilles. And yet by the end, with its much-ballyhooed twist, the whole endeavor leaves you feeling more drained than enlightened.

Perhaps because "Traitor" aims to be equal parts explosive action picture and serious-minded character drama, it never completely hits the mark in either regard. As pure entertainment, it's too dry; as a heady dissection of world affairs, it's too shallow. But through Cheadle's Samir Horn, "Traitor" does take the admirable step of trying to understand and explain the philosophy of Islamic extremism.

The script from Nachmanoff actually allows his characters to enter into discussions of what jihad means and who exactly is a terrorist.

Samir would seem to be one, based on his actions and associates: He's a former U.S. special operations officer whose Muslim faith has led him down some violent paths. As a child in Sudan, he watched his father die in a car blast; after growing up in the Chicago projects and joining the military, he now finds himself selling bomb detonators to Yemenis. His motives and alliances are unclear from the start and remain so throughout the film, perhaps even to him.

Cheadle is, of course, as smart and nuanced as ever, and it's intriguing to see him play the role of a bad guy for once, or at least a flawed protagonist. But he might actually be too subtle for his own good; at times, you wish there were a little more oomph to the performance.

In a parallel plot line, Pearce co-stars as Roy Clayton, a low-key FBI agent with a smooth Southern drawl who is calmly trying to track down Samir. He and his partner, Agent Max Archer (Neal McDonough as thuggish bad cop), initially find Samir in a Yemeni prison and interrogate him. Then they lose him again when he escapes with fellow inmate Omar (the quietly intimidating Said Taghmaoui).

Daniels, meanwhile, has a few strong scenes as a CIA agent who knows more than he lets on to his government cronies.

And yet the cat-and-mouse game goes on with Samir continuing to prove his elusiveness, even as Homeland Security steps up alerts with the threat of a major attack planned for Thanksgiving Day. All of it certainly seems relevant, resonant, even plausible - but that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone will want to watch it.

MOVIE REVIEW

Traitor **

MOVIE BOARD RATING: PG-13; intense violence, brief profanity

STARS: Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Jeff Daniels

DIRECTOR: Jeffrey Nachmanoff

LOCATION: See movie times, Page 9, for local showtimes.

PLOT SUMMARY: Operative working with a terrorist group becomes a CIA target.

RUNNING TIME: 112 minutes

ON THE WEB: www.traitorthemovie.com