By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Mira Nair
Starring: Kate Hudson | Keifer Sutherland | Liev Schrieber | Martin Donovan | Riz Ahmed
Country: qatar, united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2013
Running time: 130
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2032557/combined
Michael says: “Mira Nair is a talented filmmaker. Her latest film, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, is beautiful to watch, well structured, provocative, features terrific performances and a real slow burn. Unfortunately, the screenplay by William Wheeler, adapted from a novel by Mohain Hamic, could have used a bit of tightening up. Still, the overall effect is a dramatic character study about two men representing two cultures, with a pinch of thriller thrown in. Changez is a young Pakistani man who travels to the United States after college and takes a job in a Manhattan firm where he quickly proves his value as a bright, analytic mind. He loves America and is chasing his American Dream. He meets Erica, a talented, beautiful artist (who just happens to be the niece of one of his company’s executives) and the two begin a tentative relationship that quickly grows into more. While on his first major business trip, where he again proves he is a rising star in the company, he turns on the television just in time to see the second jet fly into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011. After returning home (and enduring a humiliating strip search), and experiencing an entirely different dynamic in the way people perceive
him, the first seeds of doubt begin to shake his unwavering confidence.
‘The story is framed by a political kidnapping of an American in Pakistan. Bobby, an investigative journalist is interviewing Changez, and as he tells his story, we see it unfold. The scenes between Bobby and Changez are intense and fairly riveting, and as Changez’ story unspools, the tension during the present ratchets up. The suspenseful elements come to a head as the film closes, and we are left with much to think on, and a glimpse into a different way of thinking. The film handles the character interactions best, but some of the moments of Changez’ story feel slightly obvious and could have been written with more finesse.
“Riz Ahmed, who impressed many of us in Michael Winterbottom’s TRISHNA, is pretty fantastic as Changez. It’s a tough role that requires the viewer to be uncertain about the character’s motives while still being empathetic. Liev Schreiber is also excellent as the American reporter. Kate Hudson does a great job as Erica, proving that she needs more serious roles and step away from the inane romcoms she is usually cast in. Keifer Sutherland is also effective as Changez’ mentor in the company, although he did make me giggle during one scene where he loses it a bit and goes briefly way over the top. It was a nice surprise to see Martin Donovan as an American operative, but I’d love to see him play a quirkier roll more reminiscent of his work with
Hal Hartley or Don Roos.
“As I said above, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST is a slow burn, possibly too slow for some. I reveled in the style, structure and soundscape that Nair commands, and the challenging cultural and religious themes she explores. The film fairly effectively compares the fundamentals of capitalist and jihadist outlooks, and it makes for some thought-provoking work. 4 cats”