Reese Witherspoon to play terrorist's wife

Monday, October 15, 2007

New York (ANI): Actress Reese Witherspoon will appear in a very unusual role in her upcoming movie 'Rendition", scheduled for release on Friday. The film portrays her in the role of a Chicago-based woman, Isabella, who is married to an Egyptian-born chemical engineer, to be played by Omar Metwally, suspected by US authorities of having knowledge of a bombing.

However, instead of protesting the authorities who fly her husband to North Africa for a cruel secret interrogation, she shows strong belief in the justice system. The 31-year-old actress, who is well known for her commendable performance in the 'Legally Blonde" franchise, considers herself lucky that she has so far not portrayed stereotyped characters, and that 'Rendition" has once again given her a chance to do a different role.

"The film (addresses) an issue you read about, but may not feel connected to. I'm really lucky that I'm able to do (movies) like this, and that people accept me doing different things," the New York Daily News quoted her as saying. Film director Gavin Hood has revealed that Witherspoon was not in favour of showing Isabella protesting in her husband"s innocence.

He says that the actress wanted her character to be a woman who had full faith in justice. "Reese never wanted Isabella to simply shrilly protest her husband's innocence," says Hood. "She in fact says, 'Tell me what you think he's done.' Reese wanted to make sure Isabella had a certain dignity, as well as a real belief in justice," he added.