‘Our Kind Of Traitor’ Movie Review: A Spellbinding, Psychological Thriller

Our Kind of Traitor is the spellbinding, psychological thriller of the summer. It will keep you guessing until winter arrives.

An otherwise ordinary British couple are on holiday in Marracech, Morocco, when fate stumbles upon them.

Ewan McGregor plays Perry, a professor of poetics and Naomie Harris plays his wife Gail, whom is a successful lawyer. The pair take time away to visit in Morocco with the hope of rediscovering what they lost in their marriage.

Instead, a money-launderer for the Russian mafia named Dima (Stellan Skaarsgard) pulls Perry aside and pleads with him to deliver a message to the British Secret Service back home in London or else his whole family while be murdered.

Dima appears willing to cooperate in an information exchange with MI6 operative Hector (Damian Lewis), but both sides needs assurances the other cannot offer.

‘OUR KIND OF TRAITOR’ TRAILER

Caught in the middle are Perry and Gail who grow increasingly excited by their operative status as the dangerous waters they are swimming in heighten at the same rate.

All characters are forced to make compromises for sake of their job, family or safety in this masterfully written screenplay, adapted by screenwriter Hossein Amini, from the novel written by John le Carre.

In the end, a twist asks you to decide the conclusion.

McGregor gives his typical above-average performance, making it very believable that he is a simple poetry professor, looking for a thrill. As usual, he is suited for the role and his emotions flow along as the film takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride from Morocco, to London, to France and back, attempting to shrug off Russian death squads following close behind.

Lewis puts on a marvelous, however, understated performance as Hector, an British Secret Service agent in charge of the operation to bring Dima to London.

Skaarsgard too can be commended. As his character, Dima, continues to make decisions based on the health and safety of his children viewers can feel the anguished position he is put in. His face squirming, while attempting to maintain the facade of a Russian mafioso.

Naomie Harris fit nicely into her role as a powerful attorney, but she did not stand out, whether that is good or bad.

Despite a significant amount of gun violence there was very little hand-to-hand combat which is normally a given in Russian mob films. But the gun violence, rape and murder are all gruesome enough to make movie-goers turn their head at points.

As thrilling as the suspenseful plot is, there is something missing from the film.

The “twist” is relatively predictable, though no one can say for sure what really happened to Dima. And the lack of fist-fighting stages a departure from the conventions of Russian mafia films.

There are periods where the film drags, but not many. The fast-paced storyline, coupled with numerous setting locations helps to quicken the pace of this near-two-hour flick.

Susanna White does an admirable job as director. The gun battle scenes are breathtaking, as are the views from the different locales.

Overall, Our Kind of Traitor is a quality film, destined to be incredible, but fell short somewhere in plot development, special effects or editing.