Hey all. Capone in Chicago here.

Sometimes, just watching two of the finest actors working today is enough to keep you absolutely gripped to even the most average of thrillers. So imagine what it's like to watch these same two actors in a taut, tightly scripted, and nerve-wracking piece that starts out as a white-knuckle suspense film and essentially never lets up. Although not nearly as ambitious or complex as, say, Syriana, Traitor provides a satisfying and densely packed amount of story into its two-hour length. Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, a Yemen-born American citizen and former U.S. Special Operations officer, who has stayed faithful to his Muslim roots and become a soldier for an Islamic fundamentalist group that has carried out numerous terrorist acts around the world and is planning a major attack on the United States. Guy Pearce plays Texas-born FBI agent Roy Clayton, who leads the investigation into Horn's activities when he is captured early in the film (and then subsequently escapes).

The first thing you notice about Traitor is how scarily authentic everything feels. The levels and layers of secrecy, the simplicity of Horn's master plan of attack, the way the FBI is able to track him but still is always one or two steps behind the highly intelligent terrorist. I credit the great storytelling to writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff (co-writer of The Day After Tomorrow), who also gets a story credit along with Steve Martin…yes, as far as I can tell it's THAT Steve Martin. I'd say 75 percent of this film is talking and preparation. It's actually pretty refreshing to watch a film about terrorism that doesn't use its action sequences as a crutch. There are a few tasty chase scenes, gunfights, and explosions, but they are all used in moderation to give them more weight and significance. Samir is also given plenty of screen time to explain his motivations for turning on America. You may not agree with his reasons, but I like that the movie took the time to hear him out. What is just as interesting as Samir's stealthy and seemingly error-free behaviors are the few instances when he does make mistakes and why. There's a lot more going on in this story than a simple cat-and-mouse game. And what is Samir's relationship with a U.S. investigator played by Jeff Daniels?

And then there's the completely reliable Pearce, who has never given a bad performance in his entire career, as far as I'm concerned (the same can be said for Cheadle). Clayton's drive and personality are given just as much examination as Samir's, and it's such a rare treat to watch these two great actors bite into great material like this, despite the fact that they are only on screen together a couple of times. Neal McDonough plays Clayton's more aggressive and emotional partner Max. Rounding out the essential supporting cast is Said Taghmaoui (recently seen in Vantage Point) as Samir's "sponsor" Omar, who acts as his entry point onto the highest rungs in the terrorist organization.

I have to give Cheadle credit for playing a character that, on the surface, no one in the audience is really meant to like. But since it's Don Cheadle and we as American moviegoers like explosions, we're almost rooting for him to succeed with his plan of blowing up 50 fully loaded buses all over the country at the exact same time. It's a strange and wonderful position the film puts us in, but as the actual act comes closer to fruition, a creeping "Holy shit, I don't want this to happen" feeling takes over, and all is right with the world. The word I keep coming back to is "smart." Everything about Traitor is well thought out, precisely conceived, and there were almost no instances where I felt myself in a state of disbelief. Strangely enough, the film has a wicked sense of humor in certain spots, and I was truly grateful for the tension release.

I find it a bit bizarre that such a strong work would get its release in the last week of August, a period usually reserved for the dregs that no distributor dared put out during the more-desirable summer weeks. But if you've seen everything else and you're looking to end your summer on a high note, look no further. Traitor is a great, savvy film that doesn't get bogged down in politics but doesn't fall short on ideas or great acting, which is some of the best you'll see all summer.

-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com