You can’t help but wonder about the name. Mauritanian. Even for all you would be geographers and armchair historians, The Islamic Republic of Mauritania doesn’t come up much in conversation. Yet, for Mohamedou Ould Slahi, it was the only place on his mind for over 14 years while imprisoned by the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Adapted from Slahi’s best-selling memoir of 2015, titled Guantanamo Diary, 2021’s The Mauritanian hit theaters on February 12th, 2021. It releases across streaming platforms on March 2nd, 2021.
Check out the trailer before scrolling any further! The Who’s-Who in The Mauritanian
Love a good pedigree, don’t we? Let’s take it from the top. Director Kevin Macdonald‘s directed some big flicks in the past 20 years. Some names that you’ll recognize would be 2006’s The Last King of Scotland starring Forest Whitaker, 2009’s State of Play, and 2011’s The Eagle. The screenplay was adapted and written by Michael Bronner, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani. Michael Bronner’s resume as a producer includes United 93, Green Zone, and Captain Phillips. This is his first writing credit for a feature film, but his experience at 60 Minutes shines through the facts heavy storytelling. Both Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani are relative newcomers who are also writing DC’s upcoming Black Adam script.
Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch, Shailene Woodley, and Zachary Levi head up the cast but Tahar Rahim shines as the imprisoned Mohamedou Ould Slahi.
The film hones in on three main storylines, and it balances them deftly. In reading other reviews, I saw some critics who disliked the setup of the story. I don’t share that opinion, and feel like the ability to weave the narrative in this way kept me engaged.
The Defense
Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley are the lawyers Nancy Hollander and Teri Duncan, respectively. Their story begins when Nancy Hollander is asked to look into, and in turn represents, Modamedou Ould Slahi. Jodie Foster shines in her once-every-two-years role since she’s directed more in the last decade.
I’ll ignore the ever-present desire to compare every performance to Silence of the Lambs and instead sing her praises for her presence and poise onscreen. Whether she’s laying out the facts with Slahi, staring down the general, or getting teary-eyed reading accounts of interrogation, she’s a force. It’s no wonder she got the Golden Globes nom, and predictably an Oscar nom as well.
Her partner and assistant Teri Duncan accompanies her on many visits to Gitmo and scours the boxes of redacted files searching for answers. The two face opposition on all sides as they are branded terrorists for representing Slahi in a case focused on the writ of habeas corpus, but they persist.
The Prosecution
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stuart Couch, the prosecuting attorney for the Marines and in turn United States. A principled man, Couch is tasked with bringing justice for the lives lost on September 11th, 2001. Intelligence informs him that Mohamedou Ould Slahi recruited the pilots who crashed into the World Trade Centers that fateful day. It is only as he examines the case under the legal lens that things begin to fall apart. His friend and inside man Neil Buckland, played by Zachary Levi, turns cold and walls up each path Couch uncovers. Soon he realizes it was vengeance, not justice, that the government sought.
I’ll be honest, the accent Cumberbatch uses threw me for a loop for a minute. It wasn’t fully Southern, definitely wasn’t Texan, but wasn’t Yank or Midwestern either. I know it’s my love of dialects and you probably won’t notice it. Either way, Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a measured and powerful performance. After seeing him for a short appearance in 1917 and seeing him in so many Marvel flicks, I forgot what a talented dramatic actor he is. His screen time is less than that of Foster’s, but he is equally powerful.
The Defendant
Tahar Rahim plays the man in question, Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He previously worked with director Kevin Macdonald on The Eagle, and I hope they collaborate again. He’s no stranger to this type of role after appearing in 2006’s The 9/11 Commission Report and 2018’s miniseries The Looming Tower. Rahim shines as Slahi, with great range and poise. He elicits empathy and emotion with his performance, playing as difficult a character as any. First imprisoned in 2002, Slahi was not formally charged with any crime. Instead, he was held, interrogated, and tortured merely “on suspicion and association,” as the film points out.
You see the more gruesome depictions of the torture Slahi endures at Gitmo for a few reasons. First, the audience can put visuals and sounds to the prescribed methods at Guantanamo. Second, you just don’t care enough about someone’s supposed hardship and pain until you witness it. Pure and simple. Why did Schindler’s List illicit such a response? We finally saw onscreen what we only read about for 50 years. In The Mauritanian, the world finally sees just a glimpse of what the Land of the Free has done in the name of freedom. The Golden Globes nominated Tahar Rahim for best actor, and I think he’s got a strong case as Slahi in The Mauritanian.
The Right Movie at the Right Time
In case my review hasn’t said it clearly, I’m a big fan of this movie. I’m a history buff who loves a good fallen hero, exposé, or political drama. With the last 2 years, some might argue 5 years, the U.S. hasn’t been in a great place politically. Nationalism, scandal, fanaticism, upheaval, allegations and misrepresentations, racial tensions, and on top of it all, a pandemic. Even the craftiest screenwriters know that’s too tall of an order for one plot line. The desire for justice, honesty, and the whole truth is at an all-time high. We don’t want the redactions, we want the full story. The Mauritanian delivers just that.
If I could pair The Mauritanian with a couple movies for weekend drive-ins, it’d be a great 1-2 punch. I’d say that 2019’s The Report, starring Adam Driver, is a sister-flick to it, and focuses on a similar story through a Senate investigation committee. Then, 2020’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a fantastic movie about the court system and the inherent hurdles in the way of true justice. Finally, I think 2015’s Bridge of Spies is a story that could be easily paired with The Mauritanian. You know, Mark Rylance got the Oscar for his performance as Rudolph Abel, and I see similarities to Tahar Rahim’s performance here.
It’s a story of belief, a story of hope, a story of justice, and a story of forgiveness. You don’t need to be able to point out Mauritania on a map or be an expert in post-9/11 Homeland Defense to enjoy this film. You do need to watch with an open mind and be attentive, or you might miss some of what makes this movie great.
Find Out More
Be sure to check the official website for The Mauritanian for local showtimes, and stream it starting March 2nd! You can also find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
While you’re here, check out our review for 2021’s The Marksman starring Liam Neeson.
Looking for another political piece? Check out our review of Jon Stewart’s Irresistible starring Steve Carrell.