Rendition

A stereotypical political thriller with no redeeming qualities from its triviality and negligiblity. With many unnecessary choices and decisions in its movement (Such as the abominable ending and some certain cast member agreements) this is quite so-so. The script is equally irritating. However, what saves Rendition is its bleak look at the US government's relentless detention condemnation employed on terrorism. This is what keeps it afloat along with Meryl Streep, who is spectacular at times.

Treading much of the same ground as the more recent Unthinkable, this is a more serious, restrained effort (iirc), though also heavy-handed and not an entirely successful, or even good, film. Still, well-meaning and fairly entertaining, and it also helps that I have a bleeding heart i guess

Gives us an idea of the American politics after 9/11, and lets us have a look from a different point of view as in most films, but the structure of this film couldn't really appeal to me. Useless and stupid choices and an ending that was far from good. This film has nothing special me imo.

It starts slow and without tension. For the first half of the film I was simply waiting for the conclusion as there wasn’t much interesting happening plot wise. It does slowly build into a decent film, but it could’ve been better.

A blatant reactionary film to Guantanamo, with all the faults that come with it. Throw in a bullshit twist ending, pepper with some decent performances, and you have Rendition.

A little slow. Not that frightening. But it does instill that uncomfortableness of uncertainty when dealing with "potential terrorists" and torture. Should we? Can we? Is he? Isn't he? I'm glad I don't have to make those decisions.

Very earnest film, with highly contrived plot. The rendered victim just happens to be married to a woman with a former amour who happens to be an aide to a senator who happens to be on some kind of intelligence committee that happens to oversee the intelligence official who places the victim in the hands of a torturer whose daughter happens to know a young boy who happens to be involved with a terrorist movement. What a coincidence! It's like raaaiiin...

Entertaining but nothing special

I get what they were going for, but it never quite got there, as with many good-intentioned American made films dealing with war in the middle east.

Excellent, the performances cackle with brilliance!

the shifts in time made the movie seriously confusing, other than that it was just another movie on the middle-east gravy train that's so popular these days, this one didn't bring anything new to the table, nor did it have any real meat to it.

There's nothing remotely special or suspenseful about Rendition. It's a rather stereotypical modern-day political thriller that deals with all the same subject matter that's been done over and over since 911. If you want a political thriller that is at least thrilling check out Peter Berg's The Kingdon, which to be fair isn't even that great either. Rendition is worth a watch but don't expect it to be anything but fluff.

Gavin Hood's political thriller fires with triggering suspense to rattle the audience and instill a fear within us all. His cast and direction weave an engrossing "Babel"-like web of characters, and it will spin your thinking wheels and have you clenching your teeth throughout its two wrenching hours. It's one of 2007's best films.

Tries to say something meaningful and powerful about the unbridled use of torture on suspected terrorists but simply falls flat on it's face. The antagonists in this aren't given much screen time so they have no complexity and exists for the reason of just being evil and the movie ends with one of the worst and most impractical endings I've seen in a good long time. Certainly a movie you can skip.

meryl streep and reese witherspoon are two of my favorite actresses. but everything in the movie seems so black and white. and it gets pretty boring at times. it's a pretty good movie worth seeing but it didn't live up to my expectations. i thought it would be one of the best.

Serviceable political/government drama. There isn't really an suspense but the acting is decent enough and the interplay between the very different characters is mildly thought provoking. Unlike other many other films using the non-linear format,the plot keeps moving forward and the film never gets boring. Much better than The Kingdom, roughly of the same quality of Syriana.

There are a lot of things to like about this film - it has a lot of forward "push", the casting and acting of secondary actors is excellent, it has a strong sense of place (Morocco) - but, in the end, it cops out. Hood's *Tsotsi* is an edgy film with real anger and something political to say: *Rendition* is a compromised film, smart, professional and slick.

Generic Hollywood socio-political thriller that tries to say something meaningful about the conflict in the middle east but just stumbles all over itself. Witherspoon isn't very convincing in this sort of film and was a distraction. Same goes for Gyllenhaal. I can't help but see films like this as ultimately shallow and tries to play with complex social and political issues that are way over the director and screenwriter's head.

Contrived and obvious.

I'll admit that I don't remember anything about this movie, other than yawning a whole bunch of times.

Entertaining 2000s thriller with a big cast. A little clumsy so it's not great but worth a watch

A painful movie to watch, and recommended, but the acting was mediocre, and the time-shift stuff was completely not needed, and potentially confusing.

I had heard that Rendition was yet another movie that cast the United States in a bad light for its War on Terror (which it does), so I was reluctant to watch the movie. To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite a teaspoon of liberal lecturing as easily dismissed as a hint of garlic, the multi-storylined film moves right along, highlighted by strong performances by every single actor. . ., especially Streep and Gyllenhaal. Highly recommended.

Arab representation were far better than most mainstream american film. Content of this story was trite and unexamined. Yes revealing the reality of rendition is big step, but there's much more gold to mine here. Witherspoon is probably a little over the top for this part. Her character does not warrant the emotional angst though to sell this to middle america, maybe Reese was needed. Other films examining this issue are needed.

So disappointing.

"Hollywood kick-starts another Oscar season with a modish globetrotting guilt trip that histrionically explores how government policy and our involvement in the Middle East affects people in America on a personal level." - Ed Gonzalez

Passes the time.

emotionally grabbing presentation made even darker by mirror of actual happenings.

This is an average movie in every way. The performances, directing and writing all are average. If you are looking for nothing spectacular then check out this film.

Forget the thin characters and showoffy temporal structure. Rendition's worst flaw is its political deck-stacking.

An emotive subject, portrayed more evenly than I expected. Although the Americans didnt come across with the level of responsibility they should have done...

Scary movie which explores a very dark corner in the "war on terror". The distinction between "good" and "evil" gets very blurred indeed. Streep's character is particularly unnerving.

An excellent movie. This movie gives a great insight in the US political mind-set in the post 9/11 era . Also, don't forget to watch the extra documentary on the DVD.

Disturbing and true.

An attempt to look into the dark, murky world of the detention methods employed by the U.S., but unfortunately the movie isn't gripping or convincing enough. Sure - it does have some graphic torture scenes which are supposed to showcase the evils of the detention methods and we are to widen our eyes in horror and curse the government, but the movie doesn't suggest an alternate solution against a merciless and brainwashed enemy, if we were to take those methods away.

Forgettable. The shifts in time were totally needless.

Further proof, as if any were needed, that a movie can be well-intentioned, serious-minded, politically sound and simultaneously a dramatically inert slog. Operating with the staid seriousness that has marked and marred Hollywood "issue" pictures for decades, Hood's feature-length condemnation of U.S. detention policies in the so-called war on terror invariably has some moments of harsh effectiveness--this is torture that's being depicted, after all. Overall, though, it feels safe, even phony.