Adaptations of John le Carré novels are formulaic in the best of ways. More cerebral than Bond and Bourne, his on-screen works don’t guarantee chase scenes and gadgets; instead, the audience is treated to a discussion of the ethics and morality of espionage, all set amongst locations around the world. You’ll inevitably be checking your frequent-flyer miles afterward to see if you have enough points to travel to Marrakech or Budapest (you don’t). Based on his 2010 novel, “Our Kind Of Traitor” doesn’t have quite the depth or the pedigree of other cinematic versions of his novels like “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” or “The Constant Gardener,” but it’s still worth the trip.
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Rather than putting a seasoned spy at its heart, “Our Kind Of Traitor” takes the Hitchcockian approach of centering on a man who is in over his head and out of his element. University professor Perry (Ewan McGregor) and his lawyer wife Gail (Naomie Harris) are on vacation in Morocco when Perry is randomly approached by Dima (Stellan Skarsgård). “You are a gentleman,” Dima tells Perry after spending only a little time with him. “A man of honor.” After entertaining Perry at epic parties, he reveals that he is the money launderer for the Russian mafia, and the mob’s new boss, Misha (Rasha Bukvic), is planning to have Dima and his family killed once he signs over their accounts. He asks Perry to bring a memory stick with the criminal syndicate’s financial information to MI6 when he returns to London. The agent in charge, Hector (Damian Lewis), realizes that the names he has received aren’t just Russian; instead, they are among Britain’s most powerful politicians. But Perry’s work isn’t finished: He and Gail keep getting pulled deeper and deeper into the web, with Dima and Hector facing off. Dima only wants to keep his family safe from retribution, while Hector wants to eliminate corruption — and his rival Aubrey Longrigg (Jeremy Northam).
What could’ve been solely a lesser Le Carré adaptation is elevated thanks to the direction of Susanna White and the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle (“Slumdog Millionaire,” “Antichrist“). White is an interesting choice and it pays off. Other than “Nanny McPhee Returns,” she has mostly worked in TV, and this is a significant step up in scale, even from excellent projects like the Ruth Wilson-led “Jane Eyre” and HBO miniseries “Parade’s End.” There’s not much action here other than the climax, but she handles both the film’s quieter moments and its louder ones with ease. From the opening moments of “Our Kind Of Traitor,” Mantle’s work behind the camera is simply stunning. There are sweeping overhead shots and fine use of color and tints, varying by location.
The script from Hossein Amini feels less witty and complex than standard Le Carré, and Perry is the only character who gets significant development. Though he’s depicted as a man of principle, it’s not so simple as that. But throughout the film’s running time, I found myself questioning why he continued to put himself and Gail in danger, exceeding even what is asked of him as he risks his life for his new friend. His motivations, beyond being a flawed “man of honor,” aren’t fully explained. The film seems to mistake idiocy for this sense of integrity as he continues to make poor decisions that ultimately don’t have real consequences for him. Unfortunately, his wife is less developed, and though she’s the more professionally powerful of the pair, she seems to tag along — or be dragged along — as Perry travels to Paris and Switzerland.
A counterpoint to blockbusters that careen from car chases to explosions, “Our Kind of Traitor” is an engaging if forgettable entry in the Le Carré cinematic canon. There’s more at play than you’d get in a more action-focused film, but it lacks the heft and depth of other adaptations of his work. [B]