A wonderfully acted and oh-so captivating political drama, The Mauritanian hits all the right notes, while not reinventing the genre. That is to say, despite being overly generic at times, it always remains a wholly effective watch. Helping the film’s provocative appeal, of course, are those 5 little words every movie fan loves to see- “based on a true story.” Yep, knowing that what we are watching actually transpired (or based upon real life happenings), no doubt makes the viewing experience that much more powerful. Also, the overall feel and pacing of the film, thanks to our director Kevin Macdonald, makes it come across as a bit of a throwback in many ways. Not a bad thing, mind you, but it’s definitely got that 90’s political thriller vibe going on (a la A Few Good Men). The other highlight worth mentioning, of course, are the performances. And while Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, and Benedict Cumberbatch are once more reliably strong in their respective roles, it’s Tahar Rahim who delivers a career best with his portrayal of the imprisoned Mohamedou. The actor brings a level of humanity and soul to his depiction, while also straddling all the lines of grey there are– making it quite the powerhouse rendering. So yes, while The Mauritanian might not go as deep as other systemic injustice movies, it does more than enough to keep you enthralled till’ the very end! Case closed.