The Mauritanian

2021
R
2h 9m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

65K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:25

Conspiracy Thriller Legal Drama Legal Thriller Biography Crime Drama History Thriller War

Mohamedou Ould Slahi fights for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years.Mohamedou Ould Slahi fights for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years.Mohamedou Ould Slahi fights for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

65K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,457

207

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 5 BAFTA Awards
- 6 wins & 19 nominations total

Trivia
Detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi (of the film's title) has stated that his treatment in Guantanamo was much more brutal and inhumane than portrayed in this movie.

Goofs
When inmate 760 gets into his cell for the first time, as he leans over his bed the microphone battery pack can be seen through his orange jumpsuit at the lower right of his back.

Quotes
Nancy Hollander: Well, when I defended someone charged with rape, nobody called me a rapist. When I defended someone charged with murder, nobody dug around my backyard. But when someone is accused of terrorism, people like you seem to think that that's different. It's not. When I stand by my client and I insist that he get a fair hearing, I'm not just defending him, I'm defending you and me. The constitution doesn't have an asterisk at the end that says : "Terms and conditions apply."

Connections
Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Failed Oscar Bait Movies of 2020 (2021)

Soundtracks
Makam Vaghou
Written and Performed by Noura Mint Seymali

User reviews379

Review

Featured review

About GITMO, not a shining star in the USA resume.

The movie gets its title from the GITMO inmate that is featured in this movie, based on a real person and his experiences. He is a Mauritanian.

The whole movie centers on one man's fate, he was arrested and accused in 2002 of being a key figure in the 9/11 attacks, but was detained for years without any charges. He was tortured to get him to confess.

Two supporting stories are told in parallel, frequently switching from one to the other. One is the military attorney charged with building a case to find him guilty and executed. The other is a New Mexico law firm defending him, not so much focusing on whether he was guilty or not, more on whether the USA constitution and laws were being followed.

Very interesting and very well made, the actors in the featured roles are all excellent, especially Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch.

I watched it at home on BluRay from my public library. My wife skipped.