When it comes to films about terrorism, the Hollywood market is one dominated by the exploits of cowboys and tough-headed, no-crap Americanism that one might get a kick out of every now and again if it doesn't take itself too seriously (Die Hard), but too often submerges any substance and truth to the situation by trying to please the popcorn-munching audience members too eagerly. Such ventures into the often complex and extremely conflicted area of politics, war and current social prejudices are subsequently left alone by those the film ostensibly tries to draw in (those looking for intelligent, insightful political drama) and instead adopted and loved by people riveted by your average Michael Bay movie. It's just about safe to say that those movies have their place, as most movies do, but that when you start mixing real-life affairsand especially those linked to such acts as terrorism and religionyou begin unravelling something that really should be left alone if you're not going to deal with it in a dignified manner.<br /><br />Traitor, which comes from director Jeffrey Nachemanoff (known for his script The Day After Tomorrow), certainly doesn't shy away from this sense of action that permeates the average political action thriller, but it isn't ruled or dominated by it either. Instead the movie exists as a tightly wound, exciting experience, but one that draws far more of its compelling moments from elements grounded in reality through both ethical discussion and the characters that drive the thing forward. The usual twists and turns in narrative are here (so much so that I'm consciously going to avoid giving any form of a synopsis for the sake of preserving vital turning points), but they refuse to submit to banal contrivances and absurd mystery tangents that take far too long to reveal themselves. Rather, Nachemanoff fools the viewer many times and keeps them guessing as to where all of this is going, yet never neglects them to being mere witnesses to a bunch of calloused details and bullets flying around the screen. The script is well paced and focused, with plenty of time-out segments that develop character and plot significantly, with little excess.<br /><br />One could argue that perhaps Traitor is a little too long for it's own good; there are moments where the movie slows down to snail's pace for the sake of filling in plot holes and making sure the viewer is up to speed with what is going on, but such instances never become overbearing, nor do they drown out any tension developed up until that point. Yet without these points, Traitor wouldn't be quite the experience it is, mainly because a lot of the movie's ability to draw you in through its central characters, their moral dilemmas involving what they feel they have to do, and the repercussions of such actions. By tackling such detailed issues head-on, Nachemanoff makes sure to avoid the pitfalls of your common political thriller; the decisions presented here are presented exactly as such; there are consequences, there are doubts and there are conflicts inside and outside said people that manifest throughout and permeate the entire feature; Traitor dances with the people behind the FBI suits and the skull-caps, and it makes sure that they aren't mere action-movie caricatures for the sake of preserving its ultimate drawing pointreality.<br /><br />Of course, a large portion of the movie's ability to suspend disbelief is through the performances of the central cast who embody their characters with a convincing sense of realism throughout. Here, nobody is safe, and a few important characters bite the bullet, yet often they will come and go without melodramatic excess, imbued with a dramatic but grounded temperament. While I could go on about each of the actors' performances here, it must be stated that the key portrayal comes from lead man Don Cheadle who reminds us once more of the talent he has for nuanced subtlety that he so obviously possesses. In the end however, it's this consistency in grit and cerebrally engaging tone that makes Traitor a far greater whole than the sum of its parts. By no means is it a perfect motion picture; as a movie it lacks an immediately definable structure that meanders from time to time, and the eventual conclusion does feel a little half-baked, but for the most part, Nachemanoff does well to craft an intelligent and subdued take on a genre too often obsessed with gung-ho escapades and mawkish sentiments.<br /><br />- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)