IN the aftermath of September 11, the American government's unacknowledged program of "extraordinary rendition" has ignited heated debate between civil liberties and human rights groups.

The unspoken policy reportedly allows the CIA to abduct foreign nationals, who have been deemed a threat to national security, and to detain and interrogate them in secret overseas prisons.

Critics of the practice claim some suspects have endured physical and mental torture; allegations fiercely denied by the upper echelons of power.

Gavin Hood's skilfully crafted thriller explores the devastating impact of one rendition on two seemingly unconnected families, living hundreds of miles apart.

The film addresses the complex political and moral issues with flair, walking that perilously thin line between right and wrong, where an act of brutality could save a life, or just as quickly end it.

Rendition is slickly scripted by Kelley Sane, who cuts back and forth between the various storylines with aplomb, dropping an almighty narrative bombshell in the closing minutes which you don't see coming.

But leads Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon both disappoint, and Meryl Streep chews scenery without breaking a sweat.

  • See it at Empire, Odeon