The Mauritanian

Last updated

The Mauritanian
The Mauritanian poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Screenplay by
Story byM.B. Traven
Based on Guantanamo Diary
by Mohamedou Ould Slahi
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Alwin H. Küchler
Edited by Justine Wright
Music byTom Hodge
Production
companies
Distributed by STXfilms [lower-alpha 1]
Release dates
  • 12 February 2021 (2021-02-12)(United States)
  • 1 April 2021 (2021-04-01)(United Kingdom)
Running time
129 minutes [2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [3]
  • United States
Languages
  • English
  • French
  • Arabic
Box office$7.5 million [4] [3]

The Mauritanian is a 2021 legal drama film based on the memoir of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, [5] a Mauritanian man who was held from 2002 to 2016 without charge in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, a United States military prison. The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald based on a screenplay written by M.B. Traven, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani, adapted from Slahi's 2015 memoir Guantánamo Diary . It stars Tahar Rahim as Slahi, and also features Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Zachary Levi in supporting roles.

Contents

The Mauritanian was released in the United States on 12 February 2021 by STXfilms. In the United Kingdom, where all cinemas were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned cinema release was cancelled and the film was premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 1 April 2021. [1] It received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising Macdonald's direction, its cinematography and performances of the cast (particularly of Rahim and Foster) but criticised its screenplay. At the 78th Golden Globe Awards the film received two nominations; Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (for Rahim), with Foster winning Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. At the 74th British Academy Film Awards the film received five nominations, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, and Best Actor (for Rahim).

Plot

In November 2001, Mohamedou Ould Slahi is in Mauritania, two months after the September 11 attacks. A Mauritanian policeman tells Mohamedou that Americans want to have a talk with him. Mohamedou agrees to go with them.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, in February 2005, lawyer Nancy Hollander is told by French lawyer Emmanuel that a lawyer from Mauritania approached his firm in Paris on behalf of Mohamedou’s family. They haven’t seen Mohamedou since he was arrested three years ago and only just found out in a newspaper that he is being held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and is accused of being one of the organizers of 9/11. Emmanuel asks Nancy to look into it because she has a security clearance from a previous case and can ask questions he can’t. Nancy agrees to check.

At a Naval Law Conference in New Orleans, Marine Prosecutor Stuart Couch is told by Colonel Bill Seidel about the Mohamedou case which Seidel wants him to prosecute. Seidel says that Mohamedou fought with Al-Qaeda in the 90s and then recruited for them in Germany, and says it was Mohamedou who recruited the terrorist who flew Stu’s friend’s plane into the tower.

Nancy and Teri (her fellow lawyer) fly down to Guantánamo to meet Mohamedou. Mohamedou agrees to hire them as his lawyers. Meanwhile, Stu tells his team to go through all the intel reports they have to corroborate the story against Mohamedou.

Nancy finds out something through Mohamedou’s letter which she received from him while Stu looks at the MFR (Memorandum for the Record), showing exactly what happened. The letter and reports talk about enhanced interrogation methods (i.e., torture) and other maltreatment including sexual assault upon Mohamedou by the Guantanamo guards as ordered by General Mandel. General Mandel also threatened the arrest and rape of his mother. Thus, to save his mother and to get the torture to stop, Mohamedou gave false confession about being a terrorist. Stu withdraws from Mohamedou's prosecution in disgust.

In December 2009, at trial Mohamedou testified over video link to the court. In March 2010, Mohamedou got a letter informing him that his case was successful, and the judge has ordered him to be released. Text is shown telling us that it would be another 7 years before he actually was released, because the government appealed. His mother died in 2013 so he never saw her again. He was finally released in 2016, having spent 14 years in prison without ever being charged.

Finally, footage of the real Mohamedou arriving back in Mauritania is shown. Texts are shown, telling us Mohamedou lives in Mauritania and got married in 2018 to an American lawyer. They have a baby son, Ahmed, but haven’t been able to live together as a family and are hoping a country will grant them protection and citizenship. Nancy and Teri are still lawyers working against injustice, and we see footage of Mohamedou giving them necklaces with their names in Arabic.

Cast

Production

Director Kevin Macdonald, pictured in 2010 Kevin Macdonald (cropped).jpg
Director Kevin Macdonald, pictured in 2010

The film was announced in November 2019. Kevin Macdonald signed on as director, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim and Shailene Woodley cast to star. In December 2019, Zachary Levi joined the cast of the film. [6] Filming began on 2 December 2019 in South Africa.

The film was originally known as Guantánamo Diary in its early development stages, [7] and as Prisoner 760 during production, [8] before being described as untitled in post-production. [9] In November 2020, the title was revealed to be The Mauritanian. [10]

Release

In August 2020, STX Entertainment acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. STX International will release the film in the United Kingdom and Ireland and pre-sold the international distribution rights at the American Film Market in November 2019. [9] The film was released in the United States on 12 February 2021 in theaters, with a digital demand release following on 2 March 2021. [11]

Reception

Box office

As of 1 April 2021, the film had made $835,724 domestically and $2,500,000 internationally, for a global total of $3,335,724.

Released alongside Judas and the Black Messiah , Land with limited expansion of Willy's Wonderland on 12 February 2021. The Mauritanian made $163,789 from 245 theaters, and $179,778 over the four-day President's Day weekend. [12] In its second weekend of release the film made $137,072 from 287 theaters. [13] In its third weekend, the film took in $120,192, a decline of 12.3% from the second. In its fourth weekend, the film made $90,004.

Critical response

Tahar Rahim Samba avp 2014 2.jpg
Jodie Foster Cesars 2011 2 (cropped).jpg
Rahim was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, while Foster won Best Supporting Actress.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 75% of 217 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Mauritanian takes a frustratingly generic approach to a real-life story that might have been inspirational in other hands, but Tahar Rahim's performance elevates the uneven material." [14] According to Metacritic, which sampled 35 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, the film received "mixed or average reviews". [15]

Leaf Arbuthnot, writing for Tatler , described the film as 'excellent', praising in particular the performances of Foster and Rahim as 'impeccable'. [16] The Hindu praised the performances of the cast, specifically of Foster, saying; she elevates the legal drama to a whole new level. [17]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
AARP Movies for Grownups Award 4 March 2021Best Supporting Actress Jodie Foster Won [18]
British Academy Film Award April 11, 2021 Best Film Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Beatriz Levin and Lloyd LevinNominated [19]
Outstanding British Film Kevin Macdonald, Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Beatriz Levin, Lloyd Levin, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani and M. B. TravenNominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role Tahar Rahim Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay M.B. Traven, Rory Haines and Sohrab NoshirvaniNominated
Best Cinematography Alwin H. Küchler Nominated
Casting Society of America 15 April 2021Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Studio or Independent Feature - DramaNina Gold, Christa Schamberger (location casting)Nominated
European Film Awards December 11, 2021 Best Actor Tahar Rahim Nominated [20]
Golden Globe Awards February 28, 2021 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated [21]
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Jodie Foster Won
Heartland FilmTruly Moving Picture Award Kevin Macdonald Won
London Film Critics' Circle Awards February 7, 2021 Film of the Year The MauritanianNominated [22]
Director of the Year Kevin Macdonald Nominated
Actor of the Year Tahar Rahim Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle Awards Best ActorNominated
Best Female Action Hero Jodie Foster Nominated

Notes

  1. ↑ In the United Kingdom, STXfilms' international arm STXinternational was to release The Mauritanian on 1 April 2021. As cinemas were closed in the UK in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film skipped theatrical release and was instead released on Prime Video as an Amazon Original. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamedou Ould Slahi</span> Mauritanian author and former Guantanamo Bay detainee

Mohamedou Ould Slahi is a Mauritanian engineer who was detained at Guantánamo Bay detention camp without charge from 2002 until his release on October 17, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict Cumberbatch</span> English actor (born 1976)

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2015, he was appointed a CBE for services to performing arts and charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shailene Woodley</span> American actress and activist (born 1991)

Shailene Diann Woodley is an American actress. Born in San Bernardino, California, she was raised in Simi Valley, and started modeling at the age of five and began acting professionally in minor television roles. She first gained prominence for her starring role as Amy Juergens in the ABC Family teen drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013). She subsequently starred in the films The Descendants (2011) and The Spectacular Now (2013), receiving a nomination for her first Golden Globe Award for the former.

Stuart Couch is an American lawyer, veteran, and immigration judge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahar Rahim</span> French actor (born 1981)

Tahar Rahim is a French actor. His breakthrough performance was in the 2009 French film A Prophet, for which he won the César Award for Best Actor and Most Promising Actor. He then starred as FBI agent Ali Soufan in the miniseries The Looming Tower and Judas in the film Mary Magdalene.

<i>The Divergent Series: Allegiant</i> 2016 film by Robert Schwentke

The Divergent Series: Allegiant is a 2016 American dystopian science fiction action film directed by Robert Schwentke with a screenplay by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Noah Oppenheim, and the third and final film in The Divergent Series. It was set to be the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2013 novel Allegiant of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Hunter</span> English theatre director

Sophie Irene Hunter is an English theatre director, playwright and former actress and singer. She made her directorial debut in 2007 co-directing the experimental play The Terrific Electric at the Barbican Pit after her theatre company Boileroom was granted the Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award. In addition, she has directed an Off-Off-Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts (2010) at Access Theatre, the performance art titled Lucretia (2011) based on Benjamin Britten's opera The Rape of Lucretia at Location One's Abramovic Studio in New York City, and the Phantom Limb Company's 69° South also known as Shackleton Project (2011) which premièred at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Theatre and later toured North America.

Richard Patrick Zuley is a former homicide detective in the United States who had a 37-year career in the Chicago Police Department. He is most known for obtaining confessions from suspects by torture. Since the early 2000s, some of these convictions have been investigated and overturned as wrongful, following allegations that he had tortured and/or framed suspects. Since 2013 he has been the subject of several civil suits from inmates claiming abuse and frame-ups to gain convictions.

<i>Guantánamo Diary</i> (memoir) 2015 memoir written by Mohamedou Ould Salahi

Guantánamo Diary is a 2015 memoir written by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, whom the United States held, without charge, for fourteen years. Slahi was one of the few individuals held in Guantánamo Bay detention camp whom U.S. officials acknowledged had been subjected to Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. The 2015 edition was heavily redacted by U.S. intelligence officials. In 2017 a "restored edition" was published with redactions removed.

<i>Adrift</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Baltasar Kormákur

Adrift is a 2018 survival drama film produced and directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by David Branson Smith, Aaron Kandell, and Jordan Kandell. The film is based on the 2002 book Red Sky in Mourning by Tami Oldham Ashcraft, a true story set during the events of Hurricane Raymond in 1983. The film stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin as a couple who are adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after a hurricane, and must find their way to Hawaii with a damaged boat and no radio.

<i>Endings, Beginnings</i> 2019 romantic drama film by Drake Doremus

Endings, Beginnings is a 2019 romantic drama film, directed by Drake Doremus, from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jardine Libaire. The film is semi-improvised and loosely based on the screenplay. It stars Shailene Woodley, Jamie Dornan, Sebastian Stan and Matthew Gray Gubler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topic Studios</span> American film production company

Topic Studios is an American film production company owned by First Look Media. The company is known for producing films Leave No Trace (2018), Luce (2019), The Climb (2019), The Mauritanian (2021). The company also produces television shows including Love Fraud (2020) and 100 Foot Wave (2021).

<i>Ferrari</i> (2023 film) American film by Michael Mann

Ferrari is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Michael Mann and written by Troy Kennedy Martin. Based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates, the film follows the personal and professional struggles of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari, during the summer of 1957 as Scuderia Ferrari prepares to compete in the 1957 Mille Miglia. Adam Driver portrays the titular subject, and Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O'Connell, and Patrick Dempsey co-star.

<i>The Fallout</i> (film) 2021 film by Megan Park

The Fallout is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Megan Park in her feature film directorial debut. The film stars Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell, a high school student who navigates significant emotional trauma following a school shooting. The film also stars Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen, John Ortiz, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, Shailene Woodley, and Lumi Pollack in supporting roles. The score is composed by American musician and actor Finneas O'Connell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Hollander</span> American lawyer

Nancy Hollander is an American criminal defense lawyer best known for representing two Guantanamo Bay detainees, as well as Chelsea Manning. She was portrayed by actress Jodie Foster in the 2021 film The Mauritanian, about the case of her client Mohamedou Ould Slahi.

Three Women is an American television series based on the 2019 book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo that was initially set to premiere on Showtime. On January 30, 2023, Deadline reported that Showtime had decided not to air the completed series. Starz picked up the series a week later.

<i>The End We Start From</i> British film by Mahalia Belo

The End We Start From is a 2023 British survival film directed by Mahalia Belo and starring Jodie Comer, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Katherine Waterston and Mark Strong. It is adapted by Alice Birch from the novel of the same name by Megan Hunter.

References

  1. 1 2 Warner, Sam (19 February 2021). "Benedict Cumberbatch's new movie skips cinemas for Amazon release in the UK". digitalspy. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Rooney, David (12 January 2021). "The Mauritanian: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 "The Mauritanian (2021)". The Numbers . Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Mauritanian (2021)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "'The Mauritanian' Is Based On Guantanamo's 'Forever Prisoners'". NPR.org. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    # Rose, Steve (26 March 2021). "'We don't live in a world of goodies and baddies, do we?' The true story behind The Mauritanian". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    # "'I had a lot of offers to play a terrorist or the French boyfriend'". The Irish Times. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    # Brown, Hannah (6 May 2021). "Kevin Macdonald tells the 'Post' about the man behind 'The Mauritanian'". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    # Utichi, Joe (11 January 2021). "Jodie Foster Says 'The Mauritanian' Reflects The Residual Effects Of America's Post-9/11 Transformation". Deadline . Retrieved 20 September 2021.
    # "'My characters are drawn to doing the right thing': Jodie Foster on The Mauritanian and 55 years in Hollywood - CBC Radio". CBC. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  6. ↑ Kit, Borys (27 December 2019). "Zachary Levi Joins Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch in Drama 'Prisoner 760' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Busch, Anita (11 April 2016). "Benedict Cumberbatch Comes Aboard 'Guantanamo Diary' As Producer". Deadline . Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  8. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (1 November 2019). "Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim & Shailene Woodley Board 'Prisoner 760', STX Launching At AFM". Deadline . Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (3 August 2020). "Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim & Shailene Woodley Legal Thriller Stateside Rights Go To STX". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Davis, Clayton (23 November 2020). "Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim Make Late Entry Into Awards Race With STX Films' 'The Mauritanian' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Mauritanian | Official Movie Website | In Theaters Now, On Demand Everywhere March 2". The Mauritanian: Watch At Home | STX. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (14 February 2021). "'The Mauritanian', 'The World To Come' And 'Willy's Wonderland' Enter Specialty Box Office Fray". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (21 February 2021). "'Blithe Spirit', 'Silk Road' And 'The Violent Heart' Post To Specialty Box Office Board; 'Promising Young Woman' Crosses $5M". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "The Mauritanian (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  15. ↑ "The Mauritanian Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Arbuthnot, Leaf (9 April 2021). "The Mauritanian review: Jodie Foster shines in this excellent Guantanamo procedural". Tatler . Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Arbuthnot, Leaf (9 April 2021). "'The Mauritanian' movie review: Jodie Foster elevates legal drama to a whole new level". The Hindu . Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (8 February 2021). "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards: 'Trial of the Chicago 7,' 'Da 5 Bloods' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  19. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (9 March 2021). "BAFTA Unveils Film Nominations in Historic Year After Diversity Review: 'Nomadland,' 'Rocks' Lead Nominees".
  20. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (9 November 2021). "'Titane', 'Hand of God' Among European Film Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  21. ↑ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (3 February 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety . Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  22. ↑ Ritman, Alex (12 January 2021). "'Saint Maud' Leads London Critics' Circle Film Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.