Our Kind of Traitor

This subtle but stodgy cinematic adaptation of spymaster John Le Carré's 2010 Cold War thriller opens with a tantalizing glimpse of the Bolshoi Ballet, followed by the cold-blooded execution of a family on an icy, snowy road. The action then shifts to Marrakesh, Morocco, where an estranged British couple—Perry (Ewan McGregor), a mild-mannered poetry professor, and his lawyer wife Gail (Naomie Harris)—are dining in a posh café. When Gail leaves to respond to a phone call, Perry is hailed by gregarious Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), a wealthy, flamboyantly-tattooed Russian oligarch, who urges Perry to join his jovial group at a nearby table. Naïve Perry discovers that Dima, who possesses a photographic memory for numbers, is a money launderer for the Russian Mafia, headed by “The Prince” (Grigoriy Dobrygin), a man who signals his enemies' death warrants by presenting them with an heirloom pistol. Aware that his days are numbered, Dima is desperate to defect with his family—using gullible Perry as a go-between—and seeks the help of British Intelligence, offering up incriminating information about a corrupt Parliament member (Jeremy Northam) who is fronting London's newest bank. MI6's skeptical Hector (Damien Lewis), who has his own motive for pursuing this nefarious MP, arranges asylum for Dima's family. Along with clueless Perry and Gail, they take refuge in a safe house in the Alps, but the Russian gangsters are hot on their trail. Densely scripted by Hossein Amini and methodically directed by Susanna White, it's mostly memorable for Anthony Dod Mantle's stylish cinematography. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (11 min.), deleted scenes (6 min.), production segments on “The Cast” (4 min.) and “The Story” (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing thriller.] (S. Granger)