Roger Ebert called it "perfect," and certainly the timing couldn't have been much better: Rendition was released just as the U.S. was debating anew the issue of "extraordinary rendition," a policy (begun under the Clinton ... more »administration, accelerated after September 11, 2001) of handing over suspected terrorists to countries that use torture as an interrogation tool. Alas, the movie only rarely fills in the outlines of a prototypical "issue movie," the kind of thing peopled by cardboard characters tracing the patterns of an important, indeed urgent, subject. The plot kicks into gear when an Egyptian-born man (Omar Metwally) is sent to an unnamed North African country where torture is practiced, with the CIA in approval. The film takes a Crash dive through how this affects various people: his pregnant American wife (Reese Witherspoon), the reluctant CIA agent (Jake Gyllenhaal) on the scene, a severe interrogator (Yigal Naor), all the way up to a U.S. terrorism honcho (Meryl Streep) willing to turn a blind eye to the unpleasantness if it stops a terrorist attack. Things spark briefly when Witherspoon enlists an old beau (Peter Sarsgaard) to plead her case with his boss, a U.S. Senator (Alan Arkin), but for the most part director Gavin Hood (Totsi) can't find a way to color in these line drawings, despite the formidable actors doing spirited work. The issue is fully and lucidly explained, but the movie doesn't come alive. --Robert Horton« less
Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL Reviewed on 6/25/2022...
A very good mystery movie.
1 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Kathy C. from GORDONVILLE, TX Reviewed on 3/9/2013...
This was a great movie!! I could not take my eyes off it not sure if it was based on a true story but you can bet it happened to someone somewhere. It had a nice twisted ending I plan on keeping this one.
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
David M. from WALKERTON, IN Reviewed on 5/27/2012...
Quite the interesting H'wood drama of the government program to make people 'disappear'.
This has also been called Gitmo'd (after Guantanamo Bay) whereby 'terror suspects' are spirited off to secret prisons around the world (and outside the US) for torturous interrogation. No rule of law and no constitutional protection required.
The character in the movie gives up the names of his childhood soccer teammates to placate the torturers.
Watch the movie and witness the erosion of civil liberty in America.
These things in the film have really happened.
Read the book Ghost Plane. It tells all about it.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jean W. from JORDANVILLE, NY Reviewed on 12/21/2009...
a really good, tense drama with great acting. A must watch again.
2 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Delores M. from COLUMBIA, SC Reviewed on 8/20/2009...
This is a good intelligent drama. Reese Witherspoon is great. I am disappointed that the subject of the entire movie disappeared off the DVD cover credits. Considering the movie was about him, it would have been nice to see his picture on the back cover at least. Although this was good to watch, there were some slow parts in the plot when I thought "let's get on with it already." The ending of the movie made you think. The effect was good. Meryl Streep was flawless. I loved her in it. Meryl and Reese made the movie in my opinion. Without them, the movie would have fallen flat on a 1/2 star.