The Mauritanian (Amazon Prime)

 

The Mauritanian (Amazon Prime)

This film is a show case for the talents of Tahar Rahim who plays Mohammedou Ould Salahi. Salahi was detained at Guantanamo Bay for fourteen years with out charges and released. He subsequently wrote a book of his experience which is the basis of the film.

Essentially this is a four actor film: Tahar Rahim as Salahi, Jody Foster as Nancy Hollander, Benedict Cumberbatch as Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch and Shailene  Woodley as Teri Duncan. Rahim’s character displays a range of powerful emotions resulting from his captivity. Salahi is subjected to isolation, fear and terror. In these terrible circumstances there are scenes of claim and acceptance from the long confinement. He even manages to make friends with a fellow detainee which he never meets. He conveys the desperation of imprisonment and any little comfort is significant. The “Enhanced Interrogation” scenes  were horrendous and difficult to watch. I am sure they used a stunt double for some scenes but he did many himself. The emotional distress and mental break down were etched on his face. This is a demanding role.

Jody Foster is a multi-talented actor and director but her role as the lead defense lawyer Nancy Hollander was a bit one dimensional. She plays the hard as nails defense lawyer ready to fight. Most of  her screen time is in a secured room or on a plane limiting her performance. She does have good chemistry with Salahi after overcoming his initial distrust.

I think Benedict Cumberbatch is a brilliant actor but casting him as a southern prosecution lawyer with a pronounced drawl was amusing. Instead of a relaxed good old boy he came off like a stiff British colonel.  He played role well but someone like Mathew McConaughey would have been better suited.

Shailene  Woodley  character temporarily assists Nancy Hollander since she speaks French. When they first meet Salahi they were surprised he spoke English. When asked how he learned he said, “same as you, word by word’.

The film makes political statements but Rahim’s performance is reason enough to see the film.

Elysium

Hi, I’m back from vacation.

I wanted to see Elysium because I like sci-fi and this was the same director who did District 9, Neil Blomkamp. I liked District 9 very much. It condemned Apartheid, and the orchestrated evacuation of the “prawns” was symbolic of genocide. I had high expectations for Elysium, which regrettably were not met.

Elysium is a simple story of the have and have not’s.  The movie sets vividly depict the contrast between the two societies. Los Angles of 2154 is all squalor and over populated while Elysium is a giant sleek space station of prosperity spinning above the Earth fiercely protected against any intruders. Aside from the opulent life style no one on Elysium gets sick. They have machines that cure all, from caner to a shot gun blast to the face (yuk!).

Matt Damon is the protagonist. He is a former criminal eking out a living working in a factory that OSHA would have condemned. Damon is wasted here. Any mid weight actor could have carried off this part since action is more important than acting. What was interesting in the movie was the use of Spanish. I didn’t get it at first, but of course this Los Angles. Even Matt gets to speak some Spanish,”Hola me llamo es…Thank God for subtitles.

Jody Foster players the Über bitch as Elysium’s Secretary of State. Foster plays these roles very well, but here she over does it. Her words were like venom spiting from her lips and veins popping on her neck. She got to the point where her character looked cartoonish.

The most entertaining part of the movie was played by the South African actor Sharlto Copley. He played the nebbish administrator in District 9 who in the end was transformed into a prawn. In District 9 he seemed to be five feet two inches weighting about one hundred and two pounds. In Elysium he is a giant! He looks six feet two inches weighing about two hundred and thirty pounds, all muscle.  He beats the crap out of Damon and you can tell he enjoyed his role.

This is a B movie, more worthwhile on DVD. For all its sleekness it lacks gravity.