With the constant conversations about yet another potential war, one would think that the DVD/Blu Ray release of 2012 The Reluctant Fundamentalist wasn’t just by some random coincidence. Based on Mohsin Hamid‘s novel of the same name, this movie takes the viewer through the struggles a young Pakistani man named Changez (Riz Ahmed) goes through in order to attain the American dream before and after 9/11. As you can imagine, this proves to be incredibly difficult for our extremely intelligent main character.
There is quite a lot of plot to discuss; however, I feel I would do the movie a disservice if I delve too much into the complications that Changez finds while trying to be true to his heritage and beliefs, yet become successful in the United States. Changez is incredibly smart and, after attending college, impresses a Wall Street executive named Jim Cross (Kiefer Sutherland), who hand-picks him for a job with his firm. While out on business in the Phillipines, Changez decides to disobey orders Cross gives him, ends up resigning, and heads back to America without a job.
This is where the viewer experiences one of the most poignant scenes in the film. We have gotten to know our main character and know that, although he has his flaws, he is a decent, caring person. However, we see the awful treatment of Changez as he tries to cross back into the United States right after the New York Twin Towers were attacked. The TSA’s racial profiling and discrimination against our main character on film is one I will never forget. Nor should I. But, it’s not because it’s gruesome or obscene (in the conventional sense). It’s the psychical and psychological emotion the extremely talented Mr. Ahmed brings to the scene.
The rawness of the entire cast’s performance throughout the film is why The Reluctant Fundamentalist works. I found the two hour run-time a bit too lengthy for the content of the film and, where I wished there were resolutions for certain characters (like Kate Hudson’s sad photographer Erica and Changez’s love interest, as well as Liev Schreiber‘s CIA character Bobby Lincoln), the movie takes us to a different mental perspective. The cast, the cinematography, and the music bring such incredible brilliance to the story and we get to see both sides to one story. We feel the dilemma of instinctively wanting to choose one side before the other. And that’s not an easy choice after viewing this film.
Director Mira Nair stated that she intended to make a movie to “start a conversation”. This movie does exactly that. Besides watching it twice, I also intend to read the book because it’s movies like these that initiate important conversations we need to have.
Bonus Features include the trailer, as well as the behind the scenes for the movie. I highly recommend watching the 30 minute behind the scenes segment since it really gave me some great insight to how the novel was upheld with the utmost respect
RATING: Although the movie drags a bit, it also brings up such important questions that should be asked by everyone (8/10).
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
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