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'Traitor'

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BY RAFER GUZMÁN | rafer.guzman@newsday.com

August 27, 2008

' Traitor," starring Don Cheadle as a devout Muslim who thwarts terrorists but also enables them, tackles some heavy themes: not just God and law and morality, but the ever-troubling question of whether one's ends always justify one's means. To call "Traitor" deeper than the average Hollywood thriller may not be saying much - most greeting cards are deeper - but the film deserves credit for trying to both challenge and entertain its audience.

"Traitor" starts off with a literal bang in Sudan, 1978, when young Samir Horn sees his father blown to smithereens. This act of sudden violence is never explained, but it certainly has its effect on Samir (Cheadle). When we next meet him, he's a black-market freelancer peddling plastic explosives to the Middle East's burgeoning zealot demographic.

That's how he meets Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui, an appealing French-Moroccan actor), leader of a small cell with some big connections. Captured together and thrown into a Yemeni prison, the two bond over chess and the Quran, while Omar converts the seemingly apolitical Samir into a dedicated jihadi. Back on the outside, Samir proves his loyalty by bombing an American embassy - the death toll is small but real - and is soon put in charge of an elaborate effort to wreak havoc across the United States. Meanwhile, a pair of aggressive FBI agents (Neal McDonough, playing to type, and the excellent but underused Guy Pearce) are closing in.

By now you've figured out that no Hollywood movie can have a terrorist as a hero, and Samir isn't quite who he appears. But even as his true identity is revealed, his motives remain his own.

The screenplay, by director Jeffrey Nachmanoff ("The Day After Tomorrow"), was apparently inspired by an idea from Steve Martin(!), and it could have used a little levity: Cheadle spends so much time looking haunted and guilt-stricken that he's not much fun to be around.

Still, the film builds tension effectively and its climax is a satisfying combination of techno-trickery, fireworks and moral knottiness.

' Traitor'

(PG-13)

PLOT A devout Muslim blurs the line between heroism and terrorism.

CAST Don Cheadle, Saïd Taghmaoui, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels

LENGTH 1:50

PLAYING AT Area theaters

BOTTOM LINE Overly serious at times, but a challenging, entertaining thriller.