The Mauritanian is one of those movies that tells an important story but never quite finds a way to pull us in as emotionally as it should. The story is just laid out for us, one bread crumb at a time, without putting much of an artful spin on the story. Fortunately the power of this story is enough to make it compelling all the way through but little about The Maurtanian would compel someone to watch it again and again.
Rahim is rightfully spotlighted for his wonderful performance. His role is a difficult one as he is presented as a victim without clean hands, a character who spends most of this time locked up. But he makes it work. His portrayal is powerful and complicated.
Foster on the other hand, while completely competent and giving a performance worthy of her legacy, feels like she won her Golden Globe more for just being Foster instead of giving any specific high point in her career.
So while little about The Mauritanian as a film stood out for me, the story remains a strong one. These tales of the Bush era are important films to be coming to light in the hopes that discussing what went on will prevent us from going down a similar road in the future.
The Mauritanian
Starring: Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zachary Levi
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: MB Travin, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
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