If you like very good well acted character dramas with some political and thriller aspects, then The Reluctant Fundamentalist is for you. It stars Riz Ahmed as Changez, Liev Schreiber as Bobby, Kate Hudson as Erica, and Kiefer Sutherland as Jim Cross.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist starts when Bobby begins to question Changez about a recent kidnapping of an American citizen in Lahore, Pakistan. Changez then begins to tell Bobby his story of coming to America in 2001 and becoming a successful business man on Wall Street. Then 9/11 occurs and everything for Changez changes. As Changez recalls this story, Bobby’s supervisors want information on the citizen. Bobby has to get the information to save the person’s life. And Changez wants to prove his innocence in the crime.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a very good well acted character drama with some political and thriller aspects. The acting is very well done by all the leads and supporting characters with Riz Ahmed, Kiefer Sutherland, and Liev Scriber giving noteworthy performances.
While partially being a political thriller like the marketing suggests, there is also a character drama story only partially glimpsed in the trailer(Changez in America) . It shows what happens to Changez as his whole world is changed following 9/11. The effects are massive and change everything for him very quickly and without warning. That part of the movie is very good as a character study.
The other part of the movie ( Bobby interviewing Changez as a student revolution is brewing outside) is also very good as a political thriller. Each time there is a cut to them talking, events outside are escalating and eventually escalates to a tension filled climatic 3rd act. It also has a very cool opening credits sequence combining music and visuals. Overall, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a very good well acted character drama with some political and thriller aspects.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is rated R for language, some violence and brief sexuality. I give the Reluctant Fundamentalist a fundamental B+.
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