The Mauritanian

"A tough movie, and not an easy one to enjoy (...) But it fits within other well-established Hollywood genres (...) and as such, 'The Mauritanian' delivers the shock, outrage and ultimate comeuppance that audiences expect" 

"[It] remains strangely flat, despite its star power and a gripping central performance from Tahar Rahim (...) An unimpeachably well-intentioned treatment of a dark chapter in American justice, it's methodical and serious-minded to a fault." 

"Even with an impressive line-up on both sides of the camera, post-9/11 abuses remain difficult to dramatize" 

"The Mauritanian fails to humanize the story it’s telling, never coming off like something more challenging or interesting than a superficial, manipulative accounting of true events. (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)" 

"An efficient procedural that condemns the Bush-era treatment of detainees more effectively than any other recent narrative film. It’s an affecting, but nevertheless tragic, watch." 

"A flat and scattered judicial docudrama (...) This is one of those movies where the closing title cards (...) leave more of a mark than anything that comes before." 

"[It] doesn’t lack for sincerity or muted rage. But the earnest, pat execution ultimately does a disservice to Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s arduous odyssey."