Director Kevin Macdonald got his start making documentaries, and even when he switched to dramas, he tended to pick subjects based in truth. The same is true of his newest film, The Mauritanian. A first trailer, featuring stars Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch, Shailene Woodley and Tahar Rahim, is online.
Captured by the US Government, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Rahim) languishes in prison for years without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Slahi finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Woodley). Together they face countless obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Cumberbatch), eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy...
Cumberbatch's character boasts an oddly mixed accent that appears to be a blend of Smaug and Deep South, but the film, written by MB Traven, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, certainly comes across as compelling.
The film will arrive in the US on 19 February next year, followed by a UK debut on 26 February.