This movie is based on the true story. 

      A suicide bombing has just occured in North Africa.  A CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) is in the area but untouched by the bomb.

     Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) is a Chicago-area resident who came to the US from Egypt as a kid.  He's on his way home from a conference overseas when he's intercepted by American officials.  It seems that phone calls placed to his cell phone have been placed by a terrorist.  He's taken off to an interrogation facility.

     Meanwhile, a young Arab girl named Fatima has gone to stay with her boyfriend, Khalid.  They seem to live in the city where the bombing happened.  Her father has arranged for her to marry another man and their relationship is strained.  Khalid has a dead brother that he talks about, but does not divulge details about his death. 

      Anwar is subjected to torture at the facility.  He eventually ends up giving a false confession under the strain.  Anwar's wife, Isabella (Reese Witherspoon), is beside herself back home wondering what's happened.  She meets up with an old friend who may be able to help in Washington, DC.  Meryl Streep gives an especially good performance here as a CIA agent that seems more concerned with stopping a suspected terrorist than justice.
 
      Back in North Africa, it becomes more apparent that Khalid is involved in something.  When it becomes obvious that Fatima's father's life is in jeopardy, the girl must act quickly.

      How will things turn out for Anwar, as well as the star-crossed lovers?

      This movie has received some criticism for being "anti-American".  For what it's worth, I consider myself more conservative on foreign policy and did not get this impression.  All governments, including ours, make mistakes. It's whether we learn from them that makes the difference.

      All of the main characters are portrayed in a way so that you care about what's happening to them.  This always makes the storyline easier to follow.  While watching this movie, you'll learn how the suicide bombing happened as things unfold.  Even though you get a pretty good idea of who the culprets are, there is still a good amount of suspense.

     My only problem that I had while watching this is that some of the torture scenes were hard to sit through.  There isn't any excess gore, it just seems realistic.

    This is a good movie that anyone interested in foreign policy, the Middle East, true stories or movies that make you think while you're watching will want to see.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older