The Mauritanian Movie Review

The Mauritanian is scripted by MB Traven, Sohrab Noshirvani and Rory Haines and directed by Kevin Macdonald. The film is based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s memoir, Guantanamo Diary. Tom Hodge composed the music. Alwin H. Küchler cranked the camera and editing is by Justine Wright. The film has Jodie Foster An Academy Award winner; a very talented and lovel >> Read More... , Tahar Rahim Tahar Rahim is an Actor from France. He was born o >> Read More... , Shailene Woodley Shailene Woodley ( Shailene Diann Woodley) was bor >> Read More... , Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born in L >> Read More... , Zachary Levi, Saamer Usmani, Corey Johnson, Denis Menochet and David Fynn in the cast. Adam Ackland, Michael Bronner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Leah Clarke, Christine Holder, Mark Holder, Beatriz Levin, Lloyd Levin and Branwen Prestwood-Smith produced the film on a large scale.

Plot

Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian, was taken by the cops in 2002, when he was 32. He promised his mom that he would be back soon but returned from the US after 14 years. He was detained, as the US government alleged that he works for Al Qaeda. While in prison, he wrote a memoir Guantanamo Diary and it was published in 2015, a year before his release from the prison. However, he was not allowed to get a copy of his memoir. He is the first person permitted to write and publish a memoir during the detention. He also wrote four more books during his detention.

Star Performance

Tahar Rahim played the role of Slahi and impressed the audience. His body language is perfect for the role and he had also undergone some body transformation to play this role. Kudos to Tahar! Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley had also played well in the given roles. Jodie’s emotional performance is noteworthy. Benedict Cumberbatch played a strict officer and fit well in the role.

Analysis

The screenplay is interestingly made and the stars fit well in the roles. The casting team should be appreciated for picking up the right stars, especially Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster. They had lived in the roles and had given out natural performances, which is the biggest plus of the film. The production designs are neat and the music gels well with the script.

What’s There?

• The screenplay and direction are good
• The performance of the stars are stunning
• The film is technically sound

What’s Not There?

• Nothing notable as a minus

Verdict

Although it is a real-life incident, to make it appealing, the stars' performance is a must. That’s fine in this film and the audience will be much impressed to watch such heart-warming performances.