I had modest expectations going into "The Mauritanian," a screen adaptation of the book "Guantanamo Diary," which blew the whistle on the U. S. treatment of prisoners of Guantanamo Bay. Usually, if a movie as Oscar-baity as this one fails to receive a single nomination, it's because it's not very good. So call me pleasantly surprised when I discovered the film to be the exact opposite.

To some, "The Mauritanian" will likely be too heavy handed. It's one of those liberal Hollywood diatribes (and I say this as a self-identified liberal progressive) that can be too much even for those who've already bought what the movie is selling. I might have been turned off if I'd been in a different mood when I watched it. But sometimes, the commitment of the people making the movie can overcome its excess earnestness, and that was the case for me here. Among the usual Liberal Activists = Good, U. S. Government and Military = Bad tropes, the film does try for some nuance in its characters. Jodie Foster gives a sensational performance as the attorney dedicated to freeing the film's protagonist, played in an equally wonderful performance by Tahar Rahim, and we're allowed to see that she's unlikable and conflicted. Likewise, Benedict Cumberbatch, as the prosecuting attorney, is introduced as what we're sure is going to be a macho Southern military goon stereotype, complete with unacceptable accent, but the movie subverts our expectations and shows that he's capable of letting personal and patriotic feelings be outweighed by humanitarian ones. Granted, the film does none of this elegantly or delicately, but I just appreciated a story that at least attempted to populate a liberal/conservative issue movie with characters that are more than easy ciphers. The film could probably be criticized as yet another white savior story, and those criticisms would be justified. But it's a damn good one.

Shailene Woodley rounds out the cast as Foster's assistant, and she's excellent as well. The director is Kevin Macdonald ("The Last King of Scotland"),who has a knack for making blisteringly entertaining movies out of gruesome true event subject matter.

Grade: A.

Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) gets picked up by the Mauritanian police after 9/11. It's the start of his odyssey to Guantánamo Bay. Three years later, New Mexico defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) gets recruited to be his lawyer. She is joined by junior associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Meanwhile, Marine lawyer Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) is recruited to be the prosecutor to give the prisoner a death sentence. He is eager for the job after losing a close friend in one of the planes. Former classmate Neil Buckland (Zachary Levi) is involved with the interrogation.

Director Kevin Macdonald delivers a clear-headed dissection of the case against Mohamedou who is known here as The Mauritanian. The power of this movie comes from a straight forward telling of his story. I am uncertain about portraying the torture but somehow it has to be laid down on film. I would consider a less direct approach to give the audience some space. There are a few lines of dialogue that I wish Nancy would say. The performances are beyond reproach. All in all, this is a powerful truth seeking missile of a film.

"The Mauritanian" is a co-production between the United States of America and the United Kingdom and one of the bigger players this awards season. Maybe not biggest. The film runs for over two hours and is mostly in the English language, but due to the story and background also includes a few words in other languages here and there. Director is Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald and his biggest achievement so far was the Academy Award in the documentary category, so it is not surprising at all that this film here is not only based on real people, but also had a documentary touch to it at times. Sometimes it also felt more like The Newsroom, but never really like one of those many lawyer-themed shows from over the years. Anyway, also not a surprise as a consequence that one of the writers has mostly worked in the documentary genre so far, also as a producer. The other two are known for the television show Informer. As for the cast, Tahar Rahim may play the title character and he is also the man you see on the photo here, but even if he gave a strong performance it felt for good reason that the film feels just as much about Jodie Foster's character at times and this may be the reason why the latter actually won a Golden Globe for her portrayal here, but at the oscars she did not get in. Still, even at almost 60 now, Hollywood seems to love her and the star potential is undeniable. They even made room for her a bit in the second half it felt when Shailene Woodley was out of the picture for a while, but then returned for the purpose of an all-around happy ending. Anyway, it still felt a bit awkward to see Foster now closing in on 60 if you remember her from Taxi Driver and how young she was there, a movie seen as a classic by many. I am not sure if I would go that far. Okay, I mentioned the key players already now and you can also add benedict Cumberbatch there. I am not a fan when it comes to him really and I see him as pretty overrated, but here he is tolerable. I wished they could have gone with a more sinister character. Instead, it is all about his grief being overshadowed by reason and he does not bring enough to the character to really make an impact there. He will always be the good guy I suppose. But kinda fitting that Foster won so big and he did not score any nominations.

As for the film itself, you can see in the title of my review that I thought the first hour was very, very good, but it went south a bit quality-wise afterwards when the focus was on torturing mostly. I mean it was still shocking when those tough guys took over, but also the forced sex for example and, to a lesser extent because it just matters when he asks for it after the confession, the sleep deprivation, but something was missing. I do believe that they could have kept this at around two hours as well and would not have lost too much quality by cutting out the right (or wrong) scenes in the second half. The second half was also much more serious than the first. Early on, we do have some light moments here and there too. I would not go so far and call it comic relief, but Foster's character can make you smile here and there and I am not really talking that much about the scene when she tells us what happened to her marriage. On the contrary, it is even a bit sad that all she lives for now is really her job. But I think Jodie did fine in delivering both depth on the drama scale and an occasional smirk as well. Props to her for that. Woodley I like too, but she really has no good material here. She is rather depicted as the one not ready for the situation and the comment about her father not wanting to see her was almost a bit cringeworthy. Not the greatest line delivery either. But how she is so in awe of Foster's character (still a strong female the way they should be more often in terms of authenticity),how she says something she should not have said during the talk to their client, how she almost collapses on one occasion and Foster's character asks if she's fine etc. Yeah well they should have turned her less into the dumb girl I think, also with how Foster's character gets her back.

As for Rahim, I am not sure I liked him as an actor that much on other projects, but I also have not seen this much from him before. Just a Farhadi film I remember I think and he was decent there. His performance here is also not as challenging and as central as you could think and maybe that's why he did not get in at the Oscars either. But he is okay with what he was given I'd say. There just wasn't too much to the character than one would imagine. The shades come more from the writing. Like the scene with the other prisoner and I am sure almost everybody in the room wondered if it is perhaps not really a prisoner, but one who is an agent in disguise with the task to pose as an unseen friend and get information out of the title character. But nope, he was a prisoner really. Then there are these moments when we see Rahim's character even bond with some of the people working at Guantanamo. His outgoing nature makes it easy for him to not be seen as a quiet antagonist and it is contagious. I mean they even celebrate a little but with him when they find out about his acquittal. Oh yes, his speech at the end is pretty good though. This was where Rahim shone, also the question if they heard all he said. He played a smart character. If he resembles the man this is based on in real life is up to you to decide when you see him with the closing credits. I still found it interesting that we do not get a 100% verdict if he is really innocent. I mean it is all implied, also with his easy-going nature and stuff like the crocodile reference etc., but there is still no 100% safety. As Foster's character stated early on, a call from Bin Laden's compound is still a call from Bin Laden's compound or something like that. This is something I liked. The film does not turn him into a hero, just into a (seemingly) nice guy. I also liked the brief prologue years before all that follows afterwards and how he won't be back for a long time. I personally found it a good decision that they did not include many flashbacks.

It's in general the small and witty moments where the film shines the most. Like the quote about why he wanted them to call his mother and just tell her anything. Sadlly, this was once again also a moment where Woodley's character looked a bit stupid, even if Foster's character's explanation made total sense. I did not see through it either, but then again I am far, far away from Woodley's job status. As for Foster, I also remember the moment in which she talks about her client's chains to somebody at Guantanamo. This was a really powerful female acting moment, also how they vanish quickly afterwards. Here and there, the film lost itself too much in anti-Republican propaganda again, but this is not a surprise given the 100% liberal climate in Hollywood. I am of course mostly talking about the Bush and Rumsfeldt inclusions and how the title character is going up against these two and agrees to do so as if it was nothing special. Also maybe kinda fitting to watch this film now because Rumsfeldt died less than a month ago. As for Obama, I guess we can also be happy that it was at least written on the screen briefly that this terrible human being cost the title character almost another dacde of his life. I am of course not surprised that this is not part of the movie in terms of specific scenes. Just quickly rush it in at the end is the best you can get and maybe this is also why they kept up the possibility that he could be a terrorist. Or could have been, even if never as influential as he is suspected to at the beginning.

With Cumberbatch, mentioned him early already, he basically just turns into an aide in the end to Foster's character when he tells her about the lie detector test. Before that, you get some of the usual from films like this: (forced) confessions, doubts, professional honor etc. No negative criticisms or anything. It was mostly okay how they depucted it here. Not too much that could have been done better. Thinking of it, I do believe that Cumberbatch's character could also have been much more interesting because he is the only one really with massive character development and change in mind. Pity they did not cast another actor there and I am not too sure if I am positive on the ways the other people were shown here, the ones to whom the Mauritanian will always be a terrorist with a gigantic amount of blood on his hands, like of course the one who calls Cumberbatch's character a traitor before getting in his car. I still fail to see Cumberbatch somehow as somebody realistically portraying a high-profile member of the forces. Maybe just me. But come on, look at all his honors there. Anyway, that is it. Overall, a good movie, but not a great one because it could not keep the initially really high level. Definitely interesting if you care about the genre and subject and I don't regret watching it one one bit and there was also never the slightest doubt for me if I could hand out a positive recommendation here. I certainly do. Would be nice if this could be some kind of breakthrough for Rahim in Hollywood, but I kinda doubt it. At least it keeps Woodley more relevant for a while, even if I hope she can get better roles in the future. This is really all about Jodie in terms of the women. The gap between Jodie and Woodley here is probably even bigger than the gap between Rahim and Cumberbatch. Enough said. Go watch this one.