To think that extraordinary rendition as portrayed in Rendition actually exists is frightening. Scratch that, it is terrifying. It boggles the mind that something like this could go on. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by what those in power are capable of, what lengths they will go to in order to serve their own ends. It is partially my fault for not knowing about things like this. When it comes to politics I must plead ignorance, it is not my forte, I don't really look into things that I should.

That said, I am not sure what, exactly, Rendition is attempting to say about the real world. Perhaps it is just here to put a face on the practice. Perhaps it is here in the service of liberal propaganda. Frankly, it doesn't matter in the long run. What is important is how good the movie is on its own terms. If you want to read more meaning into this film, more power to you, I am sure there is more there for the discovering.

For those of you who do not know what extraordinary rendition is, here is the quick definition: it is the process by which suspected terrorists can be snatched and transported to a country that employs harsh procedures to procure information. Basically, if you are suspected of being a terrorist or being connected to terrorist acts, you can be kidnapped and transported to another country where you will be tortured until you give up the sought-after information. Although the US denies it, it is strongly believed that the US has practiced this on a number of occasions, especially since 9/11. This is the basis for Rendition.

Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), an Egyptian-born American chemical engineer, boards a flight from Cape Town, South Africa where he was attending a conference, with a final destination of Chicago, where his very pregnant wife (Reese Witherspoon) and young son wait for him. He never arrives.

Earlier that day (I think, it wasn't clear) there was a terrorist attack in an unnamed North African country. It was an attempt on the life of Abasi Fawal, an official who specializes in torture. It was unsuccessful in achieving its goal, but it did happen to take the life of a CIA official as part of its collateral damage. This gets the attention of Security head Corrine Whitman (Meryl Streep). She puts in the order to have Anwar "transferred." And so, the three-pronged story begins to weave itself together.