Traitor (2008)

The midweek review this week sees Don Cheadle in a type of role I am not used to see him in- leading man. Does it suit him? Read on and find out.

Scott.

Traitor (2008)

The Jeffrey Nachmanoff film from 2008, Traitor, casts Don Cheadle in a leading role (this was the first time I had seen him as a leading man), and I am here to tell you, it should happen more. He is excellent in this suspenseful spy thriller that makes good use of his considerable acting skills. Guy Pearce is also perfect in his role as the FBI agent Roy Clayton, who is heading a task force to link Cheadle's chracter, Sam Horn, an American Muslim, to terrorist bombings all over the world. This is about all the synopsis I can give you, because this is a very easy film to spoil.
Jeffrey Nachmanoff seems to be a more-than-competent director and the secondary characters are good enough to make the story move at a good pace. A very good script, written by Nachmanoff and Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) makes this an interesting, sometimes fascinating film from beginning to end.
I would like to mention two more performances that stand out and really surprised me in their strength. Jeff Daniels plays one of the most important characters in the film, though he doesn't have much screen time. In what little time he does have on screen, he steals the limelight from the more prominent actors. The other performance worth mentioning comes from Said Taghmaoui. His is the character in the film that makes you question your emotions and feelings toward him, and his performance is possibly the most powerful in the film.
This is a film I have been palnning to watch for a long time, and our good friend Shane requested I watch it, and write a review. I am glad I took his advice.

Scott's Final Grade: B
Scott's Final Recommendation: A must watch for any fan of spy thrillers.

Our Top Ten Animate Favorites

In honor of all the great animated films to be released in the last few years, we have compiled a list of our favorites. You may be surprised to see How to Train Your Dragon on all of our lists, but take it from us, this is truly a great animated film. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see it on our list of Top Ten Films of 2010 when this year is over.

The first list is from Becky and it shows that she has a varied taste in animated films, and it makes for a very eclectic list.

Becky's List

1. How to Train your Dragon
2. Up
3. Sleeping Beauty
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. Finding Nemo
6. The Little Mermaid
7. Thumbelina
8. Vampire Hunter D
9. Kung Fu Panda
10. A Christmas Carol (2009)

The next list is from our good friend Leila. She has compiled an excellent list and I was surprised - and delighted - to find movies like The Secret of Nimh and Fantasia. These often-overlooked gems don't make it on many lists of the greatest, and that is a bit of a shame.

Leila's List
I have to go with Bug's Life for my Number 1 for 2 main reasons: 1. Kevin Spacey is the voice of the villain (You really can't go wrong with that). And 2. It's the first animation movie that had a blooper reel in the closing credits. Not only was it brilliant, it was also just as funny as the movie itself.

1. A Bug's Life
2. Aladdin
3. Toy Story
4. The Little Mermaid
5. The Secret of Nimh
6. How to Train Your Dragon
7. Ratatouille
8. Lady and the Tramp
9. Shrek
10. Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 (okay, this one had to be a tie because I couldn't decide between the Sorcerer's Apprentice from the original and Rhapsody in Blue, the scene set in New York City from Fantasia 2000, so they both win.) :)

Scott's List

1. The Little Mermaid
2. Spirited Away
3. Up
4. Dumbo
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
6. Princess Mononoke
7. Finding Nemo
8. Coraline
9. How to Train Your Dragon
10. Kung Fu Panda

You can leave a comment that will appear at the bottom of our site, and feel free to tell us what we did right or what we did wrong. Also, feel free to send your lists of favorite animated films. Be sure to come back Tuesday, as Scott will be reviewing Traitor.