Extraordinary Rendition

This is a very good film that deals with an extremely challenging issue in a though provoking and humane way. This movie from first time director Jim Threapleton (I knew I recognised the name, him being the ex partner of Kate Winslett) is not easy viewing as it is not meant to be. The film is the story of Zaafir (an excellent Omar Berdouni) a university lecturer who deals with contentious issues such as democracy coming out of periods of violence and is also involved in programmes that promote learning in the Islamic world. Zaafir is suddenly taken of the streets by unnamed US and British agents and then transferred to an unnamed county to be questioned / tortured all in the name of justice. The torturer in chief is never named as they would not be but is played excellently by Andy Serkiss with the right amount of evil and malice mixed with the compassion he needs to draw information. The torture sequences are rightly hard to watch and you begin to see how confessions gained in such conditions truly are worthless. The film is well directed and the editing serves the story well switching from before the kidnapping tgo after the kidnapping to show how the events not only affect Zaafir bit all those close to him especially his partner. Indeed some of the scenes between them the dialogue is intentionally very low in the mix as the raw emotions of the torture play out. Highly recommended.