Rendition (2007)
Drama, Thriller |.
Rendition is a American political thriller film directed by Gavin Hood and starring Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Jake Gyllenhaal and Omar Metwally. It centers on the controversial CIA practice of extraordinary rendition and is based on the true story of Khalid El-Masri, who was mistaken for Khalid al-Masri.
In North Africa, CIA analyst Douglas Freeman briefs an agent. A suicide attack kills the agent and 18 civilians; the target was high-ranking police official Abbas-i “Abasi” Fawal, a liaison for the United States who conducts interrogations with techniques amounting to torture, but Fawal is unharmed.
Egyptian-born Anwar El-Ibrahimi, a chemical engineer living in Chicago with his mother, his pregnant wife Isabella, and their young son, is believed linked to known terrorist Rashid by records indicating several calls to Anwar’s cellphone. Returning from a conference in South Africa, Anwar is detained by American officials and sent to a secret facility near the earlier attack, where he is interrogated and tortured.
Isabella is not informed of her husband’s whereabouts, and nearly all evidence of his being on the plane at Cape Town International Airport is erased.
Freeman, assigned to observe Anwar’s interrogation by Fawal, is doubtful of Anwar’s guilt, but CIA superior Corrine Whitman insists such treatments are necessary to save potential victims of terrorism.
Director: Gavin Hood
Writer: Kelley Sane
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Omar Metwally
Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal | … | Douglas Freeman |
Reese Witherspoon | … | Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi |
Meryl Streep | … | Corrine Whitman |
Alan Arkin | … | Senator Hawkins |
Peter Sarsgaard | … | Alan Smith |
Omar Metwally | … | Anwar El-Ibrahimi |
Igal Naor | … | Abasi Fawal |
Hadar Ratzon Rotem | … | Safiya (as Hadar Ratzon) |
J.K. Simmons | … | Lee Mayer |
Simon Abkarian | … | Said Abdel Aziz |
Moa Khouas | … | Khalid El-Emin |
Zineb Oukach | … | Fatima Fawal |
Aramis Knight | … | Jeremy El-Ibrahimi |
Rosie Malek-Yonan | … | Nuru El-Ibrahimi |
Laila Mrabti | … | Lina Fawal |
David Fabrizio | … | William Dixon |
Mounir Margoum | … | Rani |
Driss Roukhe | … | Bahi |
Bob Gunton | … | Lars Whitman |
Del Hunter-White | … | DC Female Security Guard |
MrabtiBoubker Fahmi | … | Senior Prison Guard (as Boubker Fahmi) |
Nava Ziv | … | Samia Fawal |
Reymonde Amsallem | … | Layla Fawal (as Reymond Amsellem) |
Wendy Phillips | … | Samantha |
Christian Martin | … | Senator Lewis’ Aide |
Hassam Ghancy | … | Hamadi |
Najib Oudghiri | … | Omar Adnan |
Omar Salim | … | Rashid Salimi |
Bunnie Rivera | … | Corinne’s Housekeeper |
Noureddine Aberdine | … | Student Leader |
Mohamed El Habib Ahamdane | … | Hamadi’s 2nd in Command |
Fatima Regragui | … | Khalid’s Grandmother (as Fatima Reguragui) |
Anne Betancourt | … | Sharon Lopez |
Salaheddine Ben Chegra | … | Al Jazeera Newscaster |
Natalia Zonova | … | French Tourist |
Hassan Hammouch | … | Hospital Doctor (as Hassan Hammouche) |
Skylar T. Adams | … | CIA Agent at DC Airport (as Skylar Adams) |
Tim Thomas | … | CIA Agent at DC Airport |
Richard Dorton | … | CIA Agent at DC Airport |
Abdellah Lamsabhi | … | Tea House Owner |
Lasfer Abdelghni | … | Hamid, Douglas’ Driver (as Lasfar Abdelghani) |
Floella Benjamin | … | CIA Staffer |
Akram Allie | … | Cape Town Businessman |
Michael Dube | … | Cape Town Businessman |
Pope Jerrod | … | Cape Town Businessman |
Anthony Watterson | … | Cape Town Businessman |
Marisia Moreno | … | Woman Who Helps Isabella |
Tanane Boussif | … | Prison Soldier |
Lofti Hassan | … | Taxi Driver (as Lotfi Hassan) |
El Oualid Mezouar | … | Donkey Cart Driver |
Craig Johnson | … | Capitol Hill Police |
Wade Harlan | … | Capitol Hill Police |
Derek Hansen | … | Reception Guest |
Steve Tom | … | Reception Guest |
Robert Clotworthy | … | Reception Guest |
Muna Otaru | … | Senate Staffer (as Muna Otari) |
Nick Toth | … | CNN Announcer |
David Randolph | … | Todd Hamilton |
Mustapha Louchou | … | Khalid’s Brother |
Marina Anderson | … | Neighbor with Collie (uncredited) |
David Black | … | Janitor (uncredited) |
Lee Cogburn | … | DC Airport Passenger (uncredited) |
Elaine Anne Furst | … | Labor and Delivery Nurse (uncredited) |
Paul Hodge | … | Capitol Hill Officer (uncredited) |
Sammy Oussama | … | Business Man (uncredited) |
Tom Raley | … | DC Male Security Guard (uncredited) |
Jason Roehm | … | Secret Service (uncredited) |
Joseph Andrew Schneider | … | Security Officer (uncredited) |
Levi Tinker | … | Press Member (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia