Junior’s Rating *** out of *****

Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough

While its title may seem like a dead giveaway, Traitor gave me a run for my money while trying to keep up with the many faces of the central character and steering my way through this intricate tale of betrayal.  Despite the best efforts of Academy Award nominated actor Don Cheadle, and an undoubtedly courageous editor, I found my self lost several times as the story bounced from city to city and continent to continent, unveiling new characters at every turn.  But while Traitor may be hard to follow, there’s no shortage of intrigue and suspense and I must say that the well-crafted ending caught me quite by surprise.  This is not Hollywood’s first look at the war on terror but it is one of the more original, and as Traitor repeatedly shifts its sympathies back and forth across political lines more conservative moviegoers may find the film a bit off-putting.