RENDITION: When Did This Come Out?

RENDITION (Blu-ray)

2007 / 122 min

Warner Bros

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😽

“Extraordinary Rendition” is when a government abducts a person of interest, then ships them to a different country where they are interrogated and sometimes tortured, circumventing due process entirely. The United States has mostly done this with terrorism suspects, but until I watched this movie, I didn’t know there was an actual term for it.

And to be honest, I also didn’t know 2007’s Rendition even existed, which is odd considering it was released by a major studio, boasts a loaded cast and tackles timely subject matter. I’m usually up to speed on these things, even regarding movies that may not hold any particular personal interest. Yet I don’t recall ever seeing a single trailer, nor do I remember any theatrical run (at least where I live). I never spotted it on video shelves, cable TV or among the choices on any of my streaming services.  

Was I missing out on something extraordinary during the ensuing 19 years? Not really. Rendition is sporadically interesting, but also kind of convoluted and narratively disjointed, exacerbated by two separate storylines we’re unnecessarily duped into thinking are concurrent. 

The main story has chemical engineer Anwar El-Abrahimi (Omar Metwally) getting snatched away by the CIA during his return from a South African conference, with all records of his flight deleted. He’s suspected of aiding in a recent bombing, so on the orders of director Connie Whitman (Meryl Streep), he’s flown back to South Africa, where he’s grilled and tortured by Abasi Fawal (Igal Naor), who specializes in interrogation at the behest of the U.S. Also present is newbie CIA analyst Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal), ordered to observe the interrogation but not intervene. Yeah, right.

Jake reads Free Kittens' review of Rendition.

The other story involves Fatima (Zineb Oukach), Abasi’s daughter who left home because she doesn’t want to marry the man he’s arranged for her to. Instead, she’s hooked up with Khalid (Moe Khouas). What she doesn’t know is he’s part of a terrorist group planning another bombing. This subplot is far less interesting, though eventually does (sort of) figure into the main story through a climactic revelation that is obviously intended to be a jawdropping twist. Instead, it comes across as a filmmaker showing off.

When focused on Anwar’s plight and Freeman’s moral dilemma, Rendition is fairly engaging. The film also boasts great performances, though some of the characters ultimately don’t end up being as vital to the narrative as they initially seem to be. Streep, of course, is wonderfully hateful and pitiless as Whitman, while Gyllenhaal makes the most of a character whose sole purpose is to have a change of heart. Conversely, Reese Witherspoon is kind of wasted as Anwar’s pregnant wife, Isabella. As the first person to suspect something nefarious about his disappearance, her investigation is initially intriguing, but then curiously set aside by the final act. Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard and J.K. Simmons are also good in smaller roles.

For a thriller that was never on my radar to begin with, Rendition is one of those movies that I’m glad I finally saw, but probably wouldn’t feel compelled to revisit. While good performances and a timely theme make it watchable, the overstuffed plot and a needless bit of narrative slight-of-hand detract from its overall success. I’ll bet it wasn’t very popular in Washington, though.

This is a re-issue of a Blu-ray first released in 2013.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Intersections: The Making of Rendition is a pretty good behind-the-scenes documentary.

SHORT - Outlawed is a half-hour documentary about a couple real life cases where people were abducted by the government and held in secret. At times, it’s more compelling than the feature.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Gavin Hood.

DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary.

TRAILER

SEPTEMBER 5: A Tragic Event From A Unique Perspective

SEPTEMBER 5 (Blu-ray)

2024 / 94 min

From Paramount

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Being of a certain age, I have a (very) vague recollection of the Munich Massacre casting a dark shadow over the 1972 Olympics. But at the time, I was too young to comprehend that these events were unfolding live on television…and simply because ABC happened to be there for sports coverage. 

For those unaware, on September 5, the terrorist organization known as Black September entered the Olympic village, taking several Israeli athletes and coaches hostage and demanding the release of hundreds of Palestine prisoners. During the course of that day, there were negotiations and failed rescue attempts, and ultimately, everything ended with the deaths of all 11 hostages.

The tragedy has been the subject of numerous movies and television shows before (most notably, Steven Spielberg’s Munich), but September 5 is cut from different cloth. Less focused on the particulars of the terror attack itself, the film is a dramatic reenactment of ABC’s coverage behind the scenes. As such, it brilliantly achieves an urgent, chaotic tone not unlike United 93, exacerbated by superior editing that should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination. 

"You're asking for a raise now?"

As depicted here, coverage begins with ABC Sports president Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) refusing to turn the developing story over to the network’s more experienced news division, stating his team is already on location and able to broadcast live. We feel like a fly on the wall, watching barely controlled chaos as the coverage is often complicated by conflict, miscommunication, ethically questionable decisions and occasional overreaching ambition. 

Being the most recognizable member of the cast, I suppose Sarsgaard could be considered the de facto main character. But really, September 5 is an ensemble piece, its primary players being ambitious control room leader Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), German translator Marriane Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch) and head-of-operations Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), the last of whom sort-of serves as the film’s moral compass, sharply contrasting Arledge and Mason’s competitive drive for exclusive coverage. We may not always condone some of these characters’ attitudes or actions, but we certainly understand them and they’re undeniably compelling

The film is mostly devoid of onscreen antagonists (the terrorists are only seen from a distance). The entire narrative is from the point-of-view of those doing the broadcast, with the ongoing event itself presented primarily through archival broadcast footage. With his sci-fi/horror background, director/co-writer Tim Fehlbaum has seemingly come out of nowhere to put together a tense, fast-paced thriller that presents a tragic event from a unique perspective. Though nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar, how September 5 was largely ignored by the Academy while Emelia Perez racked up 13 nominations is a complete mystery.

12 STRONG (4K): Heroes on Horsies!

12 STRONG (4K UHD)

2018 / 130 min

FROM WARNER BROS.

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Bulldozer😼

12 Strong is another modern war movie based on true events. In this case, it’s an elite squad of Green Berets deployed to cripple the Taliban shortly after the 9/11 attacks. It’s a story that is certainly conducive to a gripping, intense action film, but while one isn’t likely to regret seeing it, they’re equally unlikely to give it much thought afterwards.

Following the attacks, Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) demands to leave his desk assignment and lead his former team into Uzbekistan, where they’ll work with the Northern Alliance, a band of militia lead by General Dostum (Navid Negahban), who has no love for the Taliban. It’s an uneasy partnership at first, but over the course of three weeks, they make their way (on horses!) toward the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, an Al-Qaeda/Taliban stronghold, engaging in numerous skirmishes along the way.

From a technical standpoint, there’s a lot to like about 12 Strong. The film boasts plenty of intense action sequences, explosions and fire-fights, punctuated by dialogue and strategic exposition that feels authentic. If nothing else, the viewer is well-aware of the logistics of the mission and what’s at stake. But while the film’s earnestness and reverence for its subjects is never in question, the narrative itself is largely unremarkable. The action is big, loud and well-executed, but there’s an overall sameness to everything that threatens to become rote.

"Gas her up when you bring her back."

Not helping matters is an overall lack of interesting characters. They may all be based on real people, but beyond their names, we don’t learn much about them other than a few who have families waiting back home. They’re essentially just a batch of gung-ho soldiers blasting their way from one fight to the next. For a movie showcasing real-life American heroism, it’s almost ironic that the most interesting character is General Dostum. Still, the cast - which also includes Michael Shannon, Michael Peña and Trevante Rhodes - does a commendable job with the roles they’ve been given.

At 130 minutes, 12 Strong is too long for a movie that has relatively little to say about the men or the mission. It remains watchable and looks great in 4K, but for a movie depicting what’s supposedly a pivotal event in the war on terror, it isn’t particularly memorable.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - 12 Strong: The Making of an Impossible Mission; Monumental Effort: Building America’s Response Monument.