Our Kind of Traitor
Dustin Chase
The new thriller from director Susanna White, not the first choice for the project, has actually turned out pretty good for those with patience. Lost are the art of spy thrillers that focus more on discussion, secrets, back dealing and survival. Our Kind of Traitor has a few simple action scenes in the final act, but John le Carré’s novel comes to life thanks to suitable performances from everyone involved, especially Skarsgård (Thor: The Dark World, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). If you step away from the tension and suspense Our Kind of Traitor builds, you will see how impressive this small little film presents itself.
Poetry professor Perry Makepeace (McGregor) and his wife Gail (Harris) are trying to repair the crack in their marriage created by adultery. In Morocco, what was supposed to be a rekindling, instead turns awkward when they meet Russian mobster Dima (Skarsgård). The bold man wines and dines the two before revealing his soft side in private, begging for their help in extraditing his wife and children out of Russia. The Makepeace’s return to London, shaken, but with information to hand over to MI6; they want more. Perry and Gail must fake a coincidence, with the help of special agent Hector (Lewis), running into Dima again. The two private citizens risk their lives for a man they barely know, getting caught in a web of international corruption and vendetta.
The type of mature, intelligent, summer movie intellectual audiences typically have a hard time finding among American sequels and franchise fodder.
It does start off slow, so if a James Bond type espionage thriller is what you are looking for, you won’t find it here. Instead attention to detail and policy are the elements that provide the suspense. The script holds its cards close, keeping plot details scarce. We, like the civilians involved, have little information regarding the big picture. McGregor excels in this type of performance where he is just slightly more courageous than the average man. The anguish advertised across his forehead sells the audience. Harris (Spectre, Pirates of the Caribbean) does exactly what a good supporting actress should, she helps sell every emotion McGregor is giving, while adding some of her highly underappreciated talent. Skarsgård gives a full frontal performance, literally. It’s one of his recent best, also reminding us of his underutilized talent.
Our Kind of Traitor is the type of mature, intelligent, summer movie intellectual audiences typically have a hard time finding among American sequels and franchise fodder. Whether it’s Hossein Amini’s script or the touch of the director, for the most part, ‘Traitor’ stays away from this concept of a marriage in turmoil being rescued by a life-and-death turn of events. As the film globe trots around Europe with deviant behavior behind every door, it saves most of its bomb shells for the final 20 minutes. It won’t be the payoff regular buttered pop-corn American audiences find satisfying, but it adheres to films overall turn of events.
Final Thought
Aims to offer mature/intellectual viewers something to enjoy this summer.