Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is a Sudanese-American devout Muslim. He's trying to sell Semtex explosives to Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui) in Yemen. They are arrested by the local military. FBI agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough) try to recruit Samir but he rejects them. They start zeroing in on him as a terrorist. In prison, he stands up to a vicious criminal in defense of a weak prisoner. Omar accepts the pious former American soldier Samir into his group. They break out of prison and work towards a coordinated attack in America with sleeper cells. Suddenly, it's revealed that Samir is working with Carter (Jeff Daniels) from US Intelligence deep undercover without anybody's knowledge.

Don Cheadle makes this compelling by his will of personality. The story is much less compelling. It reveals the twist quite early. Frankly, I was wondering if there is going to be another twist where Samir actually turns out to be a real terrorist. By doing the reveal, the FBI story is defanged. It would have been better to stay on Cheadle throughout the entire movie.

This was an excellent movie, a very intriguing and topical story involving terrorism with the basic message that there are good and bad people everywhere, of all races, religions, sects, whatever. The question in this film, for at least half of the movie, is: "Is Samir (Don Cheadle) a good guy or a bad guy?"

I don't want to say too much in fear of spoiling anything because that could easily be done while discussing this film. Suffice to say that this will keep your interest for the full running time and is a thinking person's movie more than most.

Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Neal McDonough, Said Taghmaoui and Alyy Kahn are all fantastic in the lead roles. The direction and photography also is top-notch. Those who pick apart this movie are nit-picking because it's a very entertaining film while not overdoing the action or the stereotypical characters.

One thing that's odd about this film: it has very strong statements which will please both liberals and conservatives, both devoutly religious folks and atheists. It pretty much covers the field.

I usually go to Malco's reviewers and then Rotten Tomatoes, to see what the consensus on a movie is. Well after going to see this movie with some very hardcore friends/critics, we all agree, the professionals are getting paid off! If it wasn't for the good amateur Malco reviewers, I would have missed a very good thought provoking movies. I disagree that this movie stereotypes its characters, they are anything but. The acting is rich, the character's are memorable, very great acting on all levels, especially the main characters, and respect is paid to traditional Islam as opposed to its radical splinter. About Cheadle's character, you may have heard his performance is wooden, that is untrue, he delivers a moving portrait of a tortured soul subjected to a traumatic past and exposed to soul rending choices. If you follow it, Traitor will offer an excellent, thoughtful, journey into the heart of a complex issue.