Review: 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' directed by Mira Nair

As the country struggles to figure out how two seemingly normal Chechen immigrants became radicalized and bombed the Boston Marathon, there's no doubt that Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist comes at an opportune time. After her last film, the Hilary Swank-led biopic Amelia, fans of Nair have been hoping for a return to the deep explorations of Middle Eastern identity that she became known for with Monsoon Weddingand The Namesake. What they actually get is a fascinating but uneven look at how one Pakistani man had his outlook on America altered by our post-9/11 xenophobia.

Based on Mohsin Hamid's best-selling novel, the film presents a perspective on America that many are going to take issue with as it holds us largely accountable for the extreme changes that took place here and in the Middle East after the World Trade Center was hit. In the wake of 9/11 and in the grip of racism cloaked under the veil of "patriotism", anyone of Middle Eastern descent was looked upon with scrutiny, and many saw their lives ruined through no fault of their own. It's provocative stuff, and Nair is certainly willing to navigate some of the harshest aspects of it, but the film's clunky structure proves a hindrance to any significant insight.

Rising star Riz Ahmed is a charismatic presence as Changez Khan, a fiery Pakistani professor living in Lahore who becomes a "person of interest" after an English colleague is suddenly kidnapped by an Islamic fundamentalist group. In an effort to save himself and his family, Changez agrees to sit down with an American journalist (Liev Schreiber) and clear his name. But Changez is known for stirring up anti-American sentiment in his students, who are raging just outside the door, and for being an associate of Jihadists. But does that necessarily make him a terrorist?

Much of the film is recounted through flashback as a young Changez immigrates to New York in 2000 to attend Princeton and pursue the American Dream. The son of a poet, Changez seeks the finer things in life, becoming the golden child to a high-powered exec at a top financial firm.  As he becomes more engrossed in the American way of life, he begins to lose much of his identity. He even goes so far as to fall in love with Erica (Kate Hudson), an American photographer struggling to deal with the recent death of her ex-boyfriend. When Changez goes back home to Pakistan, his friends barely recognize him. Even his father openly questions his chosen employment, which mainly amounts to finding ways for corporations to reduce costs through downsizing.  Nair knows this territory well, having tread similar waters through Kal Penn's character in The Namesake, but here it lacks the proper nuance.

Once 9/11 occurs, everything begins to change. Treated like a criminal and a frequent target for harassment, the anger within Changez becomes a tangible thing. His physical appearance begins to change. His outlook on the people around him and his detestable job also begin to shift.  He begins to see himself for the first time as a foreigner in an unrecognizable land. Most notably, his relationship with Erica takes a turn for the worse, but it's unclear what role it played in his decision to quit everything and move back to Pakistan. As good as Hudson and Ahmed are together on-screen, their entire relationship feels out of place. The same can be said for the central mystery and the "interview" framing, which is more clunky than effective. It's a distraction to what is frequently a compelling story of one man's potential turn towards terrorism.

For all that can be considered a misstep, there are just as many things that work to make The Reluctant Fundamentalist a film worthy of great praise. As expected, the film comes alive when Nair is given the opportunity to delve into the dynamics of Changez's family in Pakistan. Changez's parents have vastly different ideas about Changez's chosen employment, adding further to his identity crisis. Nair has always had a knack for using her surroundings to maximum impact, and the film hops the globe slickly from New York to Istanbul to the Philippines.

There's never a single false note to Ahmed's potent performance, which should have him among the early Oscar contenders for Best Actor.  It's a complex role, one that requires he be mysterious, passionate, and aggressive. In a rare break from a string of awful romantic comedies, Hudson proves she is more than capable opposite Ahmed. She makes for a sympathetic figure as a woman too inexperienced to handle her own personal issues, while also navigating Changez's mercurial attitude. The rest of the cast is solid, with True Blood's Nelsan Ellis a real stand-out as Changez's best friend.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist lacks subtlety and gets in its own way far too often, but it's unquestionably a bold and timely piece of work with one incredible lead performance.