The Color of Film Collaborative

WHAT IS A RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST?
By Lisa Simmons

How incredibly timely is this film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”. First let me begin with how entranced I was with this movie, not because of its intricate plot, wonderful storytelling, moving portrayal of a character in flux, and intelligent and deft directing but because of the richness and texture of the film itself from the opening sequence to the coffee shop in Pakistan. Mira Nair once again takes us on a journey. It is so refreshing to sit in a movie theater and have a film sweep over you that intrigues you, educates you and makes sense of often senseless things.

The film follows the life of Changez (Riz Ahmed) a young Pakistani who emigrates to the U.S., attends a prestigious Ivy League college and goes to work on Wall Street. The American Dream, right? Or so he thought. His seemingly easy integration into a rich American life and his conformist attitude, has this rising star well on his way to a very financially successful career. He finds love with a cool young hippy (Kate Hudson) and is getting stellar reviews from his boss. Life is good. And then, within 30 minutes, his life changes by the events of 9/11. A Pakistani in New York City in the wake of 9/11, he finds himself the target of the uneasiness of the city and a country to which he now does not belong. Profiled as a terrorist despite his glowing career, Changez views of the country he grew to love become unclear.

Mir Nair’s direction of this film once again shows her incredible ability to bring such a sensitive subject to the screen with a sense of humanism and understanding of the “other” side of the story. An exploration of the lives of people impacted by events that are beyond their control and how the power of perception leads people to make judgments without conversation or information can have a devastating impact. Suspenseful, riveting, and thought provoking the film allows you to follow the life of Riz Amhed from his beginnings and successful rise in the US to his return home, frustrated and wary where he works as an educator. We find him in the beginning of the film in a secret conversation with American Journalist played by Leiv Schreiber. Tensions are at times heightened as both, we can see and feel, are not quite comfortable with the other. It isn’t until those final moments that we realize that the trust between the two could never be. There is too much history between them, too much distrust, too much anger. Changez mentions twice in this film “I love America” and in his heart he truly does, the problem is, like unrequited love often turns to bitterness, America’s lack of love for Changez turns him in to The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

This movie is one that should be seen. It should be seen in the movie theater, in high schools, in colleges, organizations and corporations. It is a film that will test your ability or inability to see beyond race, separate an individual from a group, and look deeply in to your own soul to find the humanism we all possess.