Our Kind of Traitor 2016

     This film is based on the twenty-second novel by John le Carre published in 2010.  Perry Makepeace and his girlfriend Gail are dining out at a restaurant while they are on holiday in Morocco.  Perry and Gail are having problems with their relationship and they hope the holiday will bring them closer together.  Perry is a professor of poetics and Gail is a Barrister in Britain.  Gail leaves the restaurant but Perry meets Dima and he asks Perry to join their group, he is reluctant at first but he becomes convinced.  What Dima really wants is help from Britain to get his family out of Russia.  Dima is a member of the Russian mafia and he thinks his days are numbered.  He asks Perry to contact British intelligence services and persuade them that he has valuable information.  Perry and Gail get drawn into the plans arranged by British MI6 agent Hector Meredith and his assistant.

     One problem I have with this film is that Stellan Skarsgard isn’t a very sympathetic figure and neither is Ewan McGregor?  Britain stands against money laundering but they can look away when a LOT of money is pouring into Britain!!  I watched the opening scenes of this film at several months ago but didn’t get beyond this section?  It does get better as it goes along but originally I questioned the value of my time against the worth of this film?  The involvement of Perry and Gail in some heavy arrangements does take them out of their relationship problems by giving them a different focus.  3* (This movie is OK) 

108 min, Crime directed by Susanna White with Carlos Acosta, Radivoje Bukvic, Stellan Skarsgard, Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Damian Lewis, Mariya Fomina, Dolya Gavanski, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Velibor Topic.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10, 71% critic 51% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Amazon Video 3.4* out of 5* with 96 reviews Amazon 4.0* out of 5* with 36 reviews, The Guardian 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Marrakech, Morocco; Paris, Savoie, Rhone-Alpes, French Alps and Pralognan-la-Vanoise, France; Moscow, Russia; Kanton Bern and Bern-Mittelland, Switzerland; Bromley, Roehampton, Buckinghamshire and London, England, UK; Rukatunturi, Finland.  Ralph Fiennes was originally cast in the role of Dima.  Fiennes starred in the 2005 adaptation of a John le Carre novel filmed as The Constant Gardener.  Traitor was able to access several film incentive programs such as tax rebates by filming in many countries.  About 50 filming locations were used and 90 film sets.  The producers are Simon and Stephen Cornwell and they are sons of John le Carre whose real name is David Cornwell.