Traitor

Traitor can be termed a thinking man's thriller. It doesn't have the shoot-outs, chases and explosions that usually characterize films in that genre but is still an intense and suspenseful film. To begin with, the film effectively plants seeds of doubts about which side its protagonist is on but considering the choice of actor(Don Cheadle) playing him, there aren't really any questions about his loyalties(this is somewhat similar to Kamal's Kalaignan, where the film was quite successful in throwing suspicion on Kamal but we knew he couldn't be the killer). So the film's big twist - which, to the film's credit, isn't showcased as a surprise or shock - is easy to see coming but that doesn't detract from the film's impact. While spy thrillers usually romanticize their heroes, Traitor is effective because it deglamorizes its protagonist. We see the unexpected consequences of his actions and the moral and ethical dilemmas that he has to face because of them. The film also feels balanced since it doesn't portray everybody on the other side as complete bad guys and shows us that there are all kinds - the fanatics, the misguided, brainwashed believers and those with a conscience. It ratchets up the suspense towards the end as the elements of a plan come together. The climax does end the film on a positive note but feels a little too convenient and cinematic compared to the rest of the film. Cheadle is perfect and brings out the torment the character goes through. Guy Pearce plays a no-nonsense cop while Saïd Taghmaoui is solid as one of the terrorists.