The Mauritanian - Movie Review

Critics Score - 8 of 10

General Audience Score - 8 of 10

In the aftermath of 9/11, the general population of the United States was in a state of shock, anger, disbelief, outrage, pain amongst a myriad of other feelings and emotions. But as the world continued to turn and life got back to normal for many citizens in the years to follow, the U.S. government was hard at work to make those responsible for said crimes pay. One of my favorite films of the last decade, Zero Dark Thirty, glorifies these efforts. The Mauritanian on the other hand, shows how those same efforts to hold those responsible to account left a wide wake that rippled into the lives of countless human beings. To think that people that had little or nothing to do with that fateful September day had their lives upended, to understand that most of us will never really know the full scope, how many or how much they suffered, it's truly a stain on our democracy for all time. This film, based on an actual person from Mauritania, a country in Northwest Africa, and the actual events he went through after 9/11, packs a real punch and carries a reality check for us all. Freedom comes with a price tag we know, but so does the pursuit of justice.

We're introduced to our Mauritanian, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahir Rahim) as he's taken from his family for questioning because he once received a phone call from Bin Laden's satellite phone. Skip forward a few years and we're introduced to a defense attorney named Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her assistant Teri (Shailene Woodley). Foster and Rahim steal the show in their respective roles and deserve all the praise and attention they received during the awards season. Nancy gets word a family in Africa has hired a legal team to investigate rumors that their missing son is being held at Guantanamo Bay and she decides to take the case. The U.S. has recruited Lieutenant Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) to prosecute Mohamedou and seek the death penalty for his supposed crimes, even though no charges have been brought against him. As both the prosecution and defense try and uncover the truth behind all the events since Mohamedou's capture, the mystery of who he really is and his role in any terrorist organization push the movie forward. But as Nancy and Teri make repeated visits to Mohamedou and begin to believe in his innocence, Lieutenant Couch’s belief of guilt and confidence of conviction is as unrelenting as the waves washing up on the beach of Guantanamo.

By the time the film is wrapping up, we’ve taken a deep dive into the world of those accused of terrorist activities. The justice system that we rely on and trust to always be doing the right thing is in some ways seriously flawed and broken. With the realization that Mohamedou is a person living out in the world somewhere right now, this feels much like a real life Shawshank Redemption story played out before us as we watch this man’s life dangling from the scales of lady justice. As more of his trials are uncovered, our hearts break for this poor man and we watch as years fall off the calendar of his life as he gets whisked away like a feather on the wind. While some of the cinematography was excellent with some shots being very well composed, this movie is mainly hanging on the story and the acting. The sound work and writing both left something to be desired. But this was ultimately Mohamedou's tale and Rahim is putting on one of the best performances of the year by a lead actor.

SUMMARY - This film, although excellent, isn't going to make many critics best movies of the year list, but it is a real story that people should know about and is worth watching for the performances alone. Only by understanding the mistakes of the past can we prevent making the same ones again and taking time to examine the life of this Mauritanian is something we should all do closely.