When it comes to Don Cheadle, everybody has high expectations. He is generally seen as a somber and grave actor, a true expert who takes his own profession seriously and constantly provides a high-class product without fail. His roles in “Hotel Rwanda” or “Talk to Me” have strengthened his power of transforming just any production that has his name attached into a noteworthy creation, which either brings panache to its genre or reveals ideas which had hitherto been neglected.

Therefore, Don Cheadle’s presence on the top of the cast list for “Traitor” put the movie into a pinkish light, making everyone believe it would not be just another spy thriller.

In reality, the film directed and written by Jeffrey Nachmanoff and co-written by Steve Martin (yes, Steve Martin, the comedian) is poles apart from movies belonging to the same genre. However, it betrays the viewers’ embroidered trust from certain points of view.

“Traitor” seemingly concentrates on two complex themes, which are somehow opposed. And I’m talking about terrorism and globe-trotting high-profile chases on the one hand and the thorough examination of terrorists’ minds and thoughts on the other hand. The latter would actually boost the movie significantly, but mixed with blockbuster-like action scenes, the theme loses some ground and “Traitor” does not succeed in reaching its own goals, not to talk about our expectations.

Nevertheless, Don Cheadle more or less saves the day with his impeccable performance and high-quality skills. Still, is he enough to take the spy thriller to another level? I’m afraid not.

Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, a devout Muslim whose father was murdered in a car bombing years ago. What does he do for a living? He sells crates of the plastic explosive Simtex to terrorists in Yemen. However, the FBI is on his track and one of his trades is interrupted by a police raid, in which many people get killed.

Although Samir Horn is not among the victims of the attack, he is taken into custody and thrown into a filthy prison, where he is questioned by two FBI agents, Clayton, impersonated by Englishman Guy Pearce and Archer, played by Neal McDonough. They go all-out to find out whether Horn is a terrorist, an arms dealer or a seditious U.S. Special Operations officer and things grow to be a high-profile chase across the globe as the hard to get hold of ex-sergeant has his own obscure ways of going underground.

Don Cheadle, as expected, shapes his persona into a cunning and conflicted character, in spite of the fact that he sometimes permits Samir to linger for a bit too long in the shoes of a professional killer.

As “Traitor” continuously journeys around the world, the movie may give the impression of a standard speedy and synthetic action hit, which it is not. The moral dilemmas brought to life by Cheadle’s character backpedal when put face to face with the far-fetched hunt downs and bloody slaughters, making the film oscillate from thought-provoking discussions to no talk at all.

“Traitor” is far from being a masterpiece, even if Don Cheadle’s name is on the poster. Steve Martin chose the most peculiar theme for a late-summer blockbuster, but he’s Steve Martin, right? The movie manages to keep you glued to the big screen for two hours, but that’s about it. “Traitor” really betrays our far-reaching trust.