THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST - TRIBECA REVIEW
Director Mira Nair’s engrossing Pakistani thriller The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a well laid out and entertaining political tale split between the world of Pakinstan and the United States. Riz Ahmed starts as a Pakistani Professor named Changez Khan who because of reasons we are not yet aware of is a "person of interest" to the American Government. An American journalist (Liev Schrieber) has been granted an interview with him and he spends the time telling the journalist of his American past and how the aftermath of 9/11 put his search for the "American Dream" into a different perspective and launched him into an entirely new world, both in America and in Pakistan.
Mira Nair (The Namesake) presents Changez's story as a cautionary, well told tale about politics, race relations, and the sad desire to automatically assume what looks like truth on the surface. A few times it's a bit predictable, but overall the film is anchored in well-paced direction and solid acting. Riz Ahmed is instantly likable, charismatic, and mysterious. Who he is, and who he may become doesn’t brim right on the surface, and the character uses his natural likability to keep the truth away from the audience’s eyes as long as possible. It’s a great leading performance aided in part by strong supporting turns lead by Liev Shrieber, Kate Hudson (Welcome back Miss Hudson), and Kiefer Sutherland. Well worth your time, especially with such a timely message and fast paced to keep you consistantly intrigued.
VERDICT: A SOLID CHOICE
Written by William Wheeler Directed by Mira Nair Starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Shrieber, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi Country India, Pakinstan, USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence) For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets
BOTTOM LINE: Not perfect, but a well executed and intriguing look into a young Pakistan born professor with a dream of America and the realities of a post 9/11 world.