The Mauritanian is one of many films that deal with the Homeland Security aspect of the American justice system. It is a hard topic to touch upon.
The film is based on the 2015 memoir, Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Salahi. The memoir is the true story of Salahi’s experiences in Guantanamo Bay after being held for more than a decade incarcerated without a charge nor trial.
The Mauritanian follows the story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim), who was captured by the United States government under suspicions that he was an Al Qaeda recruiter, and is withering away in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Salahi was sent there falsely and without a charge nor trial. He nearly loses all hope before finding allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). They face countless obstacles in the desperate pursuit of justice, uncovering shocking truths along the way, and eventually proving that the human spirit cannot be locked up.
The film is carried entirely by Tahar Rahim’s powerful performance. The best moments come when the focus is on him, and when he is not on-screen, it’s easy to lose attention. The film explores his pain as he vows his innocence. He is fascinating to watch. Foster does the best job possible with what she is given, and while Cumberbatch’s accent is a tad bit bad, he also does a good job in his supporting role. The rest of the supporting roles are forgettable, however. Both Shailene Woodley and Zachary Levi have important roles in the film, but the narrative does not move their characters along in an interesting way.
The Mauritanian is similar to the 2019 Adam Driver-starring dram film The Report, with both films examining and critiquing the torture programs that came in the wake of 9/11. Instead of focusing on the people researching the fabricated and marked evidence, The Mauritanian separates itself by focusing on both the man who’s incarcerated and being put into this torture, and the legal team’s effort to free him. Both films deliver shock, outrage, and retribution that the audience might expect from these types of films but a problem that The Mauritanian has in comparison to The Report, or other similar films, is that it has a weak script.
The Mauritanian shows us the doctrines of the corruption that happens in the American justice system. It is the type of film that is diligent and politically relevant, one that you expect will escalate as it progresses, but it is not the case here. It feels like the film would have been better off focusing on the narrative of Rahim’s character and his experiences instead of the overall events. Most of the film’s problems come from the script and editing. The script feels unpolished and muddled, and the editing in most cases is shoddy. The film is held together by a strong glue named Tahar Rahim and when he is not on the screen, the film deteriorates slowly.
The Mauritanian is not necessarily a bad film, but it could have worked better if the filmmakers had gone on a different route with the story, instead of making another legal battle drama.
Fun Fact:
The film was nominated for two Golden Globe awards. Tahar Rahim for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and Jodie Foster for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
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