After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, several security measures were taken to protect the United States and its citizens. Among them, Congress passed the Patriot Act which gave the US Government unprecedented powers to gather intelligence and pursue terrorists. Rendition is the horrific story of what happens when the process nets an innocent person.
The USG, whose policies oppose any form of torture in this country, sought other means to extract information. Working with other countries whose policies did not ban torture and who were willing to accept these suspected terrorists, the USG sent such suspected terrorists to them. In the process, there was no requirement for due process of law and an individual's rights. Thus, a person could just simply disappear for years and nobody would notify family, friends or legal authorities. The process is called "extraordinary rendition".
The film raises fascinating questions about an individual's rights under such circumstances, vis a vis the safety and future security of our country. Clearly, when an innocent person is caught in this web, we feel horrified, debased and ashamed. But, there are always costs, and if a few individuals are mistakenly tortured when society at large is saved from the greater threat of thousands dying, is rendition an imperfect policy or a necessary strategy to protect this country?
The disc also contains a documentary called "outlawed" which chronicles the real life stories of two men from different parts of the world who underwent such experiences.
The film is beautifully made in the United States and Morocco. Meryl Streep is terrific as the US Government official ordering rendition, as is Omar Metwally, who plays the tortured individual. However, Reese Witherspoon, normally an excellent actress, as the missing man's wife seems to equate being a zombie with acting, giving a very disappointing performance. Jake Gyllenhaal is equally unimpressive as the US Government official assigned to represent the USG during the torture process. The film succeeds despite these two lackluster performances, and is a thriller well worth watching.