I’ve seen and reviewed many of Kevin Macdonald’s narrative feature films but can hardly remember any of them. State of Play, The Last King of Scotland, Black Sea, and The Eagle––these are movies that exist. But they do so as hazy memories floating around in the “2-star” grey area of my reviewing mind. His best documentaries are only slightly more memorable.
This general lack of impact feels relevant because many of Macdonald’s films are about big topics and themes, including important social justice issues, historical events, iconic figures, and real life tragedies. But his visual style and directorial approach are the epitome of pedestrian, making him one of the industry’s most reliable middlebrow guns for hire.
Unfortunately, The Mauritanian is more of the same, tepid political cinema with a bit of award season legs. Why change a winning formula, huh? Based on the memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi,
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This general lack of impact feels relevant because many of Macdonald’s films are about big topics and themes, including important social justice issues, historical events, iconic figures, and real life tragedies. But his visual style and directorial approach are the epitome of pedestrian, making him one of the industry’s most reliable middlebrow guns for hire.
Unfortunately, The Mauritanian is more of the same, tepid political cinema with a bit of award season legs. Why change a winning formula, huh? Based on the memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi,