Our Kind of Traitor (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Susanna White (director), Hossein Amini (screenplay) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Espionage thriller film |
| Parent | StudioCanal, Lionsgate (US distributor) |
Our Kind of Traitor is a 2016 British espionage thriller directed by Susanna White and scripted by Hossein Amini, adapted from John le Carré's 2010 novel. Featuring performances by Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Damian Lewis, and Alicia von Rittberg, the movie premiered in the UK on 13 May 2016 under the distribution of StudioCanal.
Plot
A Russian Mafia leader known as "The Prince" orchestrates a money laundering operation by establishing a London-based bank to manage oligarchs' funds. The initial oligarch customer and his family fall victim to assassination by a blue-eyed hitman.
While vacationing in Morocco, Perry MacKendrick becomes acquainted with Dima, a Russian possessing an eidetic memory. Dima entrusts Perry with a USB device containing evidence that links corrupt British officials and businessmen to the Russian criminal syndicate, urging him to deliver it to MI6.
Perry passes the device to MI6 operative Hector, who, along with his superior Billy, begins an investigation. Facing institutional obstacles, Hector enlists the MacKendricks to travel to France for a meeting with Dima. There, Dima discloses that each client received £5 million for endorsing the bank, while Longrigg, a corrupt politician, was paid £20 million. Before sharing detailed account information, Dima demands asylum for his family.
Emilio, the Prince’s advisor, grows suspicious of the MacKendricks and dispatches agents after them. During an assault, Perry intervenes, which helps mend his strained relationship with his wife Gail. Hector reveals that the operation is underfunded and partially financed personally. The team devises a plan to extract Dima and his family following the transfer of account data.
Due to Longrigg’s influence, asylum is refused; Hector returns alone to London while the MacKendricks remain with Dima’s family. After their safehouse in the French Alps is attacked by the blue-eyed assassin, Dima kills the attacker with Perry’s assistance.
In London, Hector persuades Treasury officials that the mafia bank is laundering illicit funds. To secure asylum for Dima's family, Hector requires access to account details stored solely in Dima's memory.
An arrangement is made to bring Dima to London for verification of these details, with his family to follow later. Despite warnings, Dima insists Perry does not accompany him. The helicopter transporting Dima explodes over the Alps, killing both him and Hector’s agent; meanwhile, the mafia bank opens successfully in London, and Longrigg is appointed Minister for Trade and Industry.
As compensation, Hector arranges asylum for Dima’s family. Perry presents Hector with an ornate pistol originally belonging to Dima that contains a concealed list of corrupt British officials’ names and their account numbers.
Production
Principal photography commenced on 26 March 2014 and continued for ten weeks across various locations including London and its outskirts, Finland, Bern, Paris, the French Alps, and Marrakech. John le Carré acted as executive producer and made a cameo appearance in the film.
Filming location
For the adaptation, the holiday destination was changed from Antigua in the novel to Morocco. Filming locations encompassed Marrakesh (Morocco), Bern (Switzerland), Moscow (Russia), Paris (France), Rukatunturi (Finland), scenes featuring the Bolshoi Ballet, and London (England).
Music
Our Kind of Traitor (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), crafted by composer Marcelo Zarvos, was made available on 13 May 2016 through Quartet Records. The soundtrack includes performances by the London Metropolitan Orchestra under the direction of conductor Andrew Brown.
- Track listing
Release
In November 2015, Lionsgate secured the rights for distributing the film in the United States.
Box office
Our Kind of Traitor debuted on 13 May 2016 and accumulated $9.4 million in global box office revenue by September 2016.
Critical response
The film holds a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 142 reviews, with an average rating of 6.0/10, receiving commendations for its strong screenplay and performances rather than its action sequences. On Metacritic, it has a score of 57 out of 100 from 30 critics, reflecting mixed or average evaluations.