REVIEWS
MOVIE REVIEW: Traitor
Don Cheadle is not many people's first choice to star in a movie about espionage and terrorism. Likewise, he is nowhere near the top of the list of actors most people would see building bombs and mixing himself up in firefights. But, maybe he should be.
Traitor, staring Cheadle-best known for his dramatic turns in Hotel Rwanda and Boogie Nights-Guy Pearce, and Said Taghmaoui, is a capable thriller driven by stellar performances and above average cinematography.
Cheadle plays Samir Horn, an ex-U.S. Army sergeant turned Muslim bomb-maker who gets mixed up with a top-level terrorist Omar, played by Said Taghmaoui. Omar takes Horn under his wing and soon involves him in building and executing the bombing of an American embassy. When Horn is discovered by FBI agent Roy Clayton, played by the always-solid Guy Pearce, a cat-and-mouse game ensues with many twists and turns, some more predictable than others.
The movie's sometimes predictable plot and cliché dialogue are overshadowed by the chemistry between Cheadle and Pearce, who is no stranger to high-tension thrillers, having stared in both Memento and LA. Confidential. Surprisingly, Cheadle
holds his own during the action sequences and dramatic getaways. But, then again, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in 2004's Crash.
Overall, Traitor is an exciting thriller that poses tough questions about morality, faith and duty, and Cheadle's performance is definitely worth the price of admission.
—Mark Arehart
PG-13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED
Some Material May Be inappropriate for Children Under 13
MOVIE REVIEW: The House Bunny
The House Bunny, written by the same duo who brought you Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, focuses on a rejected Playboy Bunny who is forced to find her way into the real world—the world of sororities and fraternities, that is. With her odd mix of metaphorical wisdom and her sometimes disturbing memorization skills, Anna Faris brings to the screen what no other comedy actress can pure blonde talent.
Among the girls she befriends, and becomes house mother to in order to save their chapter of Zeta Alpha Zeta are Kat Dennings, Katherine McPhee, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis' own Rumer Willis. Also starring are Colin Hanks as the "smart" boyfriend, and Superbad's Emma Stone, who plays the president of Zeta Alpha Zeta.
Each actor and actress in this movie has been blatantly typecast, but you can't help but fall into your own stereotypical judgments of who is labeled as popular and sexy versus those deemed loser and unacceptable by society. For the good first half of the movie, Shelley (Anna Faris) tells the women of Zeta Alpha Zeta that being popular and successful depends on their ability to attract men. She even goes as far as saying in a beauty lesson,"Your eyes
are the nipples of your face, ladies." Meanwhile, Shelley is struggling to understand why Oliver (Colin Hanks) may be interested in something other than her looks. But don't worry: Good sense prevails in the end, and you can't help but like the cameo appearance by Hugh Hefner himself.
—Mia Iverson
PG 13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED
Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13
September 4,2008
19