“American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally” is the fact-based story of Mildred Gillars, an aspiring American actress who was tried in 1949 on eight counts of treason for her role as a radio propagandist for Nazi Germany during World War II.
It’s a potentially fascinating story, but this ambitious film, directed by Michael Polish (“Twin Falls Idaho,” “The Astronaut Farmer”), is hindered by a middling script by Vance Owen, Darryl Hicks and Polish (based on a book by Owen and his late father, William) and an underwhelming title turn by Meadow Williams. The star’s limited range and overreliance on glamorous, femme-fatale-like stylings distance us from the dubious, seemingly complex Gillars, an inherently hard character to embrace at best. (Real-life photos also show her to be less the bombshell than in Williams’ breathy portrayal.)