Movie Review: Rendition

Rendition was a movie that came out when dramas involving war were considered lame ducks at the box office. On top of that it came out around the same time Reservation Road and Redacted were being talked about as well; confusion ensued. It didn't drum up a lot of moolah in that aspect, however, now that it is out for rental here is the skinny on whether or not you should check it out.

Rendition was directed by Gavin Hood and stars the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Omar Metwally, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard, and Alan Arkin. The story could be described as: A CIA analyst questions his assignment after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation at a secret detention facility outside the US. Or it could be looked at as a movie about a wife fighting against the government who she suspects have kidnapped her husband for no good reason.

This movie isn't exactly a "war" movie, it is an exploration of "extraordinary rendition" which essentially means extracting information from criminal suspects by any means necessary if it will save lives. It brings into light aspects of the Patriot Act and policies not brand new after the 9/11 attacks, but more or less amplified.

In the story a man is kidnapped by the CIA after a terrorist bombing. The film opens with the boom and immediately draws you in, within the first half an hour of the film enough has happened to fuel an entire feature. The only major problem I had with this movie was the plot twist being given away mid-point when the ending was truly relying on it to bring things home with power. It would be an easy edit to snip the small clip that gives away the ending and explains everything and it almost feels like the filmmakers think the audiences that will be watching the film are morons or perhaps do not like creative filmmaking and or artsy styles of twists. Yes, the way the story is told is a creative thing that I shall not give away, I just wish the filmmakers had not mid-movie.

Rendition is a gripping story, full of excellent acting performances, and well worth the rental price; glaring error (my opinion) and all.