Our Kind of Traitor
Reviews
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
A SCREEN ZEALOTS REVIEW www.screenzealots.com “Our Kind of Traitor” is the perfect anti-summer summer movie: it’s a thoughtful, talky, decidedly adult spy thriller that’s elevated by exceptional performances from top-notch acting talent and a clever, sharp script. You aren’t going to find lots of shootouts or pointless action scenes here, it’s the situations that will keep your mind actively guessing from start to finish. Director Susanna White instead chooses to focus on brains not brawn, and the result is an engrossing dramatic film with much greater depth than I expected. Perry (Ewan McGregor) is a university professor who is on a getaway in Morocco with his barrister wife Gail (Naomie Harris). While sitting alone in the hotel bar, he strikes up a conversation with Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), who turns out to be a Russian mobster whose family is on the fast track to execution by even badder bad guys. Dima requests that Perry hand deliver a flash drive with secret information to the British government upon returning to the U.K. and sensing the imminent danger to the man’s family, Perry obliges. Soon after, Perry is approached by MI6 agent Hector (a standout performance from Damian Lewis) and becomes an integral component of an involuntary spy game. All of the leads play perfectly off each other, each bringing a contrasting, distinctive style of character to the screen. McGregor is perfectly clueless as a professor of poetry, Lewis is proper and resourceful as a by-the-books Englishman agent dealing with government red tape, and Skarsgård is spot-on as a genial, boisterous thug. Each of these men easily deserve major award nominations for their performances. This is a well made tale of espionage and is far better than the last John le Carré adaptation (2011’s dreadfully convoluted “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy“). “Our Kind of Traitor” is the perfect choice for adults who are just sick and tired of all the noise that’s currently clogging theaters. This isn’t your typical mindless summer fare, and I encourage all grown ups to seek it out. **A SCREEN ZEALOTS REVIEW www.screenzealots.com**
Reno
**Caught between the spies and a mafia gang.** I cannot voice for others, some of them did not like it, but for me this is a good film and I enjoyed it. This is a British thriller based on the book of the same name. Directed by not a so popular woman filmmaker and I think she did an awesome job. Very impressive storyline, completely unpredictable, but I felt I knew this tale and that was just because of this being too simple and yet emotionally appealed. Yep, I was not expecting that, it was a surprise and in the end, I happy that I saw it despite many negative responses. This is a story of a London university professor Perry, who meets a Russian man called Dima during vacationing in Morocco with his wife. A simple meeting becomes a normal friendship, but later Dima reveals his true identity and asks him for a favour. Perry tries to do what Dima asked for, but that puts the couple in a tight spot. So now they're caught between the two people, not knowing how it all ends, the film in the next half is to reveal the result of the tale. I liked the line that said when Perry asked Dima why did you choose me? Not just the British actors, but Stellan Skarsgard looked so great, even in his limited part. The highlight was the swift pace, a quickly told story, but it ran for over hundred minutes. The overall atmosphere created to tell the tale was excellent, just like what a spy thriller needed. There are some edgy moments, but the stunts were limited. This is an R rated film, only because of the small scale of drugs, nudes and languages, but it does not deserve that. Maybe that was intentionally done to make it look like a grown-up's film. I think I can recommend it and I hope you enjoy it as well. _7/10_
Filipe Manuel Neto
**When this movie begins, logic leaves the room.** I saw this movie very recently, but I had no high expectations other than the work of McGregor and Skarsgard, two actors I consider generally solid and committed to each project in which they are involved. I greatly appreciate a good spy movie (James Bond movies were the first to arouse this interest, many years ago) and it's always pleasant to see a good suspense plot. However, the screaming flaws of this movie are so blatant that it is difficult to enjoy it without a certain bitter mouth. I do not question the efforts of director Susanna White, I am convinced that she did what she could with the cast, crew and producers in charge. The proof is that it technically has no obvious flaws: it has good sets, some good action scenes and some dramatic loading (very few considering the theme and the kind of film) and a regular cinematography, which did not use the iconic landscapes of the places where action is taking place, but still gives us a little of these environments. The big failure is the absence of a consistent dramatic tension fortified by a good script. The audience sees the film with the interest of those who are seeing advertising on TV. The cast also does not deserve heavy disapproval. I am sure neither Ewan McGregor nor Stellan Skarsgard will consider this a major work of their careers. However, it is undeniable they both embodied their characters well and dealt with their challenges positively. I have more doubts about Naomie Harris: In addition to having no time on scene, she has such a strongly secondary character that she almost becomes a McGregor's prop, going where he goes and doing what he asks. I've seen trained dogs less obedient than this wife, who has just been betrayed and is totally serene about it. This makes no sense, but it is the least illogical thing we will see. Damian Lewis embodied a British secret agent who begins to act on the edge between what he has to do and what he should not do, even counteracting and ignoring superior direct orders. If this is not insubordination in the ranks, I don't know what this can be. And so we come to the heart of all the problems, that is, the script. As I have previously written in other texts, the key to a good movie invariably goes through a good script, and we lack good scripts. There are excellent ideas, great premises, but the development is so poor that it often ruins the movie. The film begins with an intriguing idea: a mobster who fears for his life and wants to save his family by cooperating with the authorities. The plot around this is horrible: How can we believe the characters make such unreasonable decisions? I don't want to go into detail, but the mere idea of trusting a stranger that was nearby by chance, as that mobster decided to do, is so stupid, so naive... it makes no sense, it's too thoughtless, and most people would never accept risking the neck to help a stranger. Regardless of this, the film presents its plot, hoping that we swallow it without thinking. With me, it didn't work.
Movie Recommendation
Deserted2016-09-15When twenty-four-year-old Jae is released from prison for killing her mother, she returns to her childhood home in small-town Ridgecrest. The desire to go anywhere but there prompts her to agree to join her brother on a road trip out to Death Valley - which results in getting them hopelessly lost in the most stunning, but unforgiving topographical terrain on the planet.More...
The Kiss1981-06-01When a pedestrian is hit by a bus, the simple clerk Arandir runs and kisses the moribund in a gesture of sympathy and unconditional pure love. Opportunist photographer Amado Pinheiro witnesses the scene and sees the opportunity to sell newspaper and, together with the despicable and abusive chief of police Cunha, accuses Arandir of homosexuality.More...
Earth vs. the Spider1958-09-01Teenagers from a small town and their high school science teacher join forces to battle a giant mutant spider, living in a cave nearby and getting hungry.More...
Downtown '812001-07-13The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into.More...
A Snow Globe Christmas2013-12-14In a temper, Meg, a cynical, overworked TV executive, rants about how the movies she produces lie, making you think dreams can come true, and tries to smash her favorite snow globe. Instead, it hits her on the head and knocks her out. When she comes to, she finds herself magically transported to a perfect snow-covered town like the one in her globe, married to a handsome woodworker and mother to two young children.More...
Le premier venu2025-07-02There is no descriptionMore...
A Paper Tiger2008-04-08The life of Pedro Manrique Figueroa, a pioneer of collage in Colombia, is both incomplete and contradictory. Taking his life and work as a pretext, this mockumentary takes the viewer on a journey through history from the year 1934 up until 1981, when the artist mysteriously disappeared from view.More...
The Last Schnitzel2017-03-14The world is ending, but the president of The Grand Turkish Republic won’t let that happen until he has a chicken schnitzel. Gleefully silly science fiction satire with political bite.More...
Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words2015-08-27A personal and captivating account of the extraordinary life and work of Ingrid Bergman (1915-82), a young Swedish woman who became one of the most celebrated actresses in world cinema.More...
Catweazle2021-07-01Otto Waalkes plays a magician who strayed into the present from the 11th century and who absolutely wants to return to his time.More...
Morris from America2016-08-1913-year-old Morris Gentry has just relocated with his single father, Curtis to Heidelberg, Germany. Morris, who fancies himself the next Notorious B.I.G., is a complete fish-out-of-water—a budding hip-hop star in an EDM world. To complicate matters further, Morris quickly falls hard for his cool, rebellious, 15-year-old classmate Katrin. Morris sets out against all odds to take the hip-hop world by storm and win the girl of his dreams.More...
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation2006-09-26A boy is left alone in a Jewish neighborhood in the year of 1970, where both world cup and dictatorship happen in Brazil.More...
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon2008-04-03The aging Zhao embarks on his final and greatest campaign, a road to adventure that will crown his name in glory for all time.More...
Extremis2016-04-17A purely observational non-fiction film that takes viewers into the ethically murky world of end-of-life decision making in a public hospital.More...
Jim Jefferies: Freedumb2016-07-01Returning for a second Netflix comedy special, Jim Jefferies unleashes his famously ferocious black humor to a packed house in Nashville, Tennessee.More...
Bad Day for the Cut2017-10-20A middle-aged Irish farmer, who still lives at home with his mother, sets off on a mission of revenge when the old lady is murdered.More...
The Hollow Point2016-12-16Los Reyes County, Arizona. Leland, a retired lawman, works with Wallace, the new sheriff who replaces him, when a vicious hit man, sent by a Mexican drug cartel, threatens their border small town.More...
The Cokeville Miracle2015-06-05On May 9, 1986, a small ranching community in Wyoming experiences a divine intervention when a couple detonates a bomb inside a crowded classroom.More...
The Howling: Reborn2011-10-18On the eve of his high school graduation, unremarkable Will Kidman finally bonds with the girl he has long yearned for, reclusive Eliana Wynter. But he also discovers a dark secret from his past... that he is about to become a werewolf. Now, in an effort to fight destiny and save their love as well as their lives, they must battle not only Will's growing blood lust but an army of fearsome beasts bent on killing them... and then, us all.More...
Dad's Army2016-02-05A cinema remake of the classic sitcom Dad's Army (1968). The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist and a German spy as World War II draws to its conclusion.More...
Similar Movies
On Her Majesty's Secr...
1969-12-18James Bond tracks his archnemesis, Ernst Blofeld, to a mountaintop retreat in the Swiss alps where he is training an army of beautiful, lethal women. Along the way, Bond falls for Italian contessa Tracy Draco, and marries her in order to get closer to Blofeld.The Man with the Gold...
1974-12-04Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.The Spy Who Loved Me
1977-07-07Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. England and Russia both blame each other as James Bond tries to solve the riddle of the disappearing ships. But the KGB also has an agent on the case.The Shining
1980-05-23Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.Moonraker
1979-06-26After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space.Murder at the Gallop
1963-06-24Miss Marple and Mr. Stringer are witnesses to the death by heart attack of elderly, rich Mr. Enderby. Yet they have their doubts about what happened. The police don't believe them, thus leading Miss Marple to yet again investigate by herself.Murder Most Foul
1964-03-01A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his innocence. Once again she begins her own investigation.Rosemary's Baby
1968-06-12A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.Strangers on a Train
1951-06-27Having met on a train, a smooth-talking psychotic socialite shares his theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder to an amateur tennis player — a theory he plans to test out.The Running Man
1987-11-13By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free.Sliver
1993-05-21A woman moves into an apartment in Manhattan and learns that the previous tenant's life ended mysteriously after they fell from the balcony.Dr. No
1962-10-07Agent 007 battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ryder, to confront a megalomaniacal villain in his massive island headquarters.From Russia with Love...
1963-10-10Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul, where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy.Goldfinger
1964-09-20Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to raid Fort Knox -- and obliterate the world's economy.You Only Live Twice
1967-06-13A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.Memoir of a Murderer
2017-09-07A former serial killer with Alzheimer's fights to protect his daughter from her mysterious boyfriend who may be a serial killer too.Jackie Brown
1997-12-25Jackie Brown is a flight attendant who gets caught in the middle of smuggling cash into the country for her gunrunner boss. When the cops try to use Jackie to get to her boss, she hatches a plan — with help from a bail bondsman — to keep the money for herself.The Name of the Rose
1986-09-2414th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church's authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence; which is considerable.The Wages of Fear
1953-04-22In a run-down South American town, four men are paid to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin into the jungle through to the oil field. Friendships are tested and rivalries develop as they embark upon the perilous journey.Rebecca
1940-03-23Story of a young woman who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The young wife must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter. She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house.