Detaining and torturing assumed terrorists – getting them to talk – often saves lives. Take the time 7,000 London pedestrians were saved by breaking up a suicide bombing, rationalizes Corrine Whitman (Meryl Streep) who heads the CIA. But what if the tortured terrorist isn’t a terrorist at all? What if he’s innocent? That’s the situation when Egyptian-born Anwar (Omar Metwally) is taken hostage by the U S government on a business trip from Africa back to Chicago, where his nine month pregnant wife (Reese Witherspoon) is waiting to pick him up at arrivals. An NYU graduate with experience as a chemical scientist, he’s mistaken for knowing how to up-the-anti on explosives, claims Doug Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) the US guy sent to interrogate him via torturous methods. In the meantime, Witherspoon, who wastes most of her talent pacing and whining, turns to an old college chum, now Junior Senator (Peter Sarsgaard) who suspects her husband is innocent, and suddenly finds himself torn between the truth and his Senator boss (Alan Arkin). Yet for all the movie’s Oscar star-power, it lacks the umph to keep this movie moving. Borderline dull, the story challenges the facts of war, conspiracy and terrorism until they feel almost rammed down our throat in order to see the point of view of the filmmaker. That said, Streep has carved a new niche as the evil playing character, making her “Devil Wears Prada” Wintour seem like Mother Theresa. Two tiaras
