The Mauritanian – Tahar Rahim saves Kevin McDonald drama
On the surface, The Mauritanian should have been a bigger contender during awards season – it’s got a stellar cast, a high-profile director in Kevin McDonald (The Last King of Scotland), and an intriguing story. However, despite some well-deserved acting nominations elsewhere, it hasn’t shown up on the radar of Oscar voters.
McDonald is adapting Guantanamo Diary, the memoir of Mohamedou Ould Salahi (played here by Tahar Rahim). It tells the story of his arrest by the US government and detainment in Guantanamo Bay from 2002 to 2016, never once being charged with any crime. Salahi is given a lifeline in veteran defence attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley), who begin to become his advocates in a country becoming increasingly reckless in its pursuit of security. Going up against motivated prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), they wade through the lies to uncover a shocking truth.
As worthy as the stories are, politically charged movies can be exhausting. Films such as last year’s Dark Waters have proven that a valiant fight for justice doesn’t necessarily make for riveting cinema. McDonald’s film isn’t exactly a slog, but it does lean on the conventions of a legal procedural drama. Montages of characters sifting through evidence, and never really developing, slows the pacing considerably. We are bogged down in statistics and protocol, which will be too simplistic for experts and too weighty for newcomers.
A bright light comes from the performances, particularly Rahim who captures the nightmarish situation Salahi finds himself in. Combatting his growing resentment and frustration with an enduring hope that he will be exonerated, it’s a marvellous display of cinematic spirit. Foster doesn’t shine quite as bright, but dominates most of her scenes as the seen-it-all legal legend, flanked by Woodley’s eager (but underused) assistant. It’s nice to see Cumberbatch back in the icy antagonist role he does so well, and conveys Couch’s dedication to the uniform well, even if the film doesn’t give him much room to flourish.
The Mauritanian has a lot of insight into the shocking way in which personal liberties were flouted in the aftermath of 9/11, but nothing that isn’t covered in the numerous books and films of this type. It’s worth catching for Rahim, but there is a lingering feeling that his story hasn’t been done justice.
The Mauritanian is available on Amazon Prime Video from 1st April