As the ushers led the way to the Theatre, we were confronted by a battalion of well-heeled security men in black suits who waved wands up and down our bodies to scour for illegal recording devices.
"Rendition" - a New Line Production - was being unveiled at the Grove and the producers were anxious to ensure that no sneak previews or bootleg copies were released over the Internet.
The excited audience settled into their seats in anticipation of the screening starring popular actors Jack Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon.
When promoters noted fans were turned away at the door, filmgoers felt privileged to have made the cut.
Yeah, it may be a hit at the box office.
The lights fell and the opening scenes quickly unfolded in Cape Town, South Africa.
In moments, the audience was quickly thrust forward into the action, due to some deft inter-cutting of film footage and dramatic storytelling devices.
Suddenly, there was an explosion.
In seconds, we were thrust into the shadowy world of terrorism and espionage.
And, just as quickly, a foreign-looking man was detained by U.S. Customs and ushered into a side room for interrogation.
Based on vague evidence, the man - with a U.S. Green card and expectant American wife residing in the U.S. - was now being asked to explain possible ties to terrorists overseas.
When the government was not pleased with the response, a top-ranking official - played cunningly by Meryl Streep - barked an order to her disapproving aide.
"Put him on the plane."
No, this was not an episode of "Fantasy Island".
On the contrary, Rendition is an intense drama about the unlawful detainment of suspected terrorists who are stripped of their rights, by virtue of a shocking illegal practice that is sanctioned by the U.S. Government.
In this fictionalized thriller, the suspected terrorist is shunted off to an overseas ally, where questionable methods of extracting information are prevalent.
However, the CIA and others high-up in Government, disavow any knowledge of the atrocities.
On an aside - it's important to note that last year 60 minutes verified that the CIA did - in fact - own an airplane which was used for this kind of clandestine purpose.
During the course of the investigation it was verified that the CIA registered a bogus company - and the subsequent ownership of the aircraft - to a post office box in the United States.
Then, the CIA used a convoluted paper trail to conceal their alarming illegal conduct from the American public and politicians alike.
It's a touchy issue which is driven home in the film.
For example, when Gyllenhaal's character fails to extract any information from the prisoner, his superior demands to know why he is not making any headway.
He quips, "It's my first torture."
Streep's character responds angrily.
"Americans do not torture people."
Well, sort of.
From the 60 minutes expose - and through other media sources - it's been established that the CIA "farms" the work out and oversees the "operations".
But, the agency has continued to deny wrongdoing.
True to form, when Witherspoon's character tries to determine where her husband is, the tale takes a compelling turn.
A friend from college, who coincidentally works in a Senator's office, tries to help.
When he makes an overture, he's suddenly embroiled in a hotbed of political issues.
Go figure!
When the politician stridently plays the U.S. Constitution "card", Streep's character trumps it with her own, "National Security".
The film has a rich palette; in fact, Rendition is spellbinding to watch due to skillful lighting, excellent cinematography, and capable directing by Gavin Hood.
In addition, there are stand-out performances by Alan Arkin and Streep and a raft of competent supporting players.
Personally, I found Jake Gyllenhaal's characterization flawed.
There are shots of his character heavily-drinking and chain-smoking early on in the film.
But, there's nothing in the plot to support or explain away the behaviour.
The problem may be with the script and a failure on the part of the screenwriters to flesh out his character.
Just maybe, it's partly due to Jake's shallow acting style, too.
Blank stares in key scenes didn't register as "frustration" or even a "loss for words" to me.
In fact, I was troubled by the fact there was no light in his eyes for most of his performance - or even a perceptible reaction to events on occasion - when begging.
So, when his character finally takes a bold step - which causes the audience to clap and cheer - the right action is more-or-less an afterthought. After all, there has been nothing on the silver screen to support his sudden jolt from the deep slumber.
Well - you could argue that because the exercise turned up nothing t he was bound to release the guy anyway - with an eye to saving his back in the future.
Indeed, there was nothing heroic about the deed, which the filmmakers would have the audience believe.
The creative decision to flash forward - then back again - to facilitate the unfolding of the tale was confusing, too.
A straightforward approach to the drama - with a logical sequence of events (without gimmicks or clever manipulation) - would have been a better road to travel.
In some respects, the way the filmmakers introduced the characters, was intriguing.
By inter-cutting scenes back and forth (subtitled segments were basically assigned the territory of the "bad guys") the movie-goer was able to glimpse the thought processes on each side.
For this reason, a sense of humanity resonated in the characters - or didn't - accordingly.
The terrorists appeared to be resolutely urged on by "God" and faith, while the Americans appeared to be propelled forward out of a sense of duty to "country".
In sum, the message was laid thread bare.
For starters, there are a number of misconceptions about race and culture.
Bottom line - terrorism, torture and violence - can never be condoned in a civilized society.
What was the underlying message?
We're all human, with a basic need for love.
And, in the final analysis, war is not the answer.
Until mankind recognizes that, filmmakers will continue to exploit the issues on the big screen, in a deceitful effort to rustle up bucks for their own selfish end.
What did P.T. Barnum once say say?
"There's a sucker born every minute"
