Alecc B. on "The Kingdom"

Like every country, I’m sure the Middle East has a lot of good in it. It’s a shame because we will rarely hear about that good because it’s always overshadowed by all the bad that takes place over there.

The Kingdom is probably one of the few movies to come out recently and showcase the good and bad sides of the Middle East. There are plenty of moments that fuel our rage and make us do nothing but hate the people that strap these bombs to their bodies in the name of Allah. The surprise here is that we get a look into the lives of the men who worship the same God but are fighting against terrorism instead of joining in. It’s a nice contrast that is only one component to a veritably great film.

PLOT

A terrorist attack is made on an American compound in Saudi Arabia, killing hundreds. In response, an FBI team of investigators is sent to find out who committed this crime and bring them to Holy War justice!!!!!

ACTING

Jamie Foxx plays Ronald Fleury, the man heading up the investigation. These are the kinds of movies Foxx can do well in. He underplays this role to good effect and refrains from being Funny-Foxx. His other team members consist of Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. Cooper plays Grant Sykes as a no-nonsense kind of guy, much like his other roles, but he acts well off of everyone else. Garner plays Janet Mayes in a very reserved manner. She’s the only female character in the crew, and besides holding her own with the boys, she has to deal with the rules and restrictions that the Middle East has for women. Garner conveys a lot of her frustrations through facial expressions and does a nice job here. She also slips into the bad-ass role a couple of times and you’ll love her for it! Jason Bateman is the last team member, Adam Leavitt. We all know we need some comic relief in a film like this, and Bateman is given most of the funny lines. He also handles the more dramatic scenes with ease. Ashraf Barhom and Ali Suliman play Colonel Faris Al Ghazi and Sergeant Haytham, the two Middle Eastern men assisting the FBI in this case. Barhom is fantastic and has great chemistry with Foxx. No, there’s no Brokeback-action, but the two of them develop a nice friendship throughout the film and the actors make it very believable. Haytham is reserved but it works for his role. Jeremy Piven shows up for a couple of scenes as Damon Schmidt. He’s basically Ari Gold with gray hair, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Ari is the shit…BOOM! Special shout-outs go to NBC’s Friday Night Lights’ cast members Kyle Chandler and Minka Kelly for showing their faces in a couple of scenes. I would love to get familiar with Ms. Kelly’s “minka”. She is scrumtrulecent!

WRITING & DIRECTING

Matthew Michael Carnahan is the writer on deck here. The story is fairly simple as it is just your standard action thriller about the FBI tracking down a killer. However, The Kingdom is not your average bang-bang-shoot-‘em-up flick. Carnahan dishes out a script that takes a familiar story and twists it into a wholly original one. The dialogue that comes out of everyone’s mouth feels fresh. Of course, the setting for this flick makes a world of difference by adding to the suspense that at any moment, you could be attacked.

Peter Berg has officially become one of my favorite directors. He’s acted in numerous films, including the underrated Aspen Extreme (YEAH, I SAID IT!!!!), and stepped behind the camera for the first time back in 1998. That film? Very Bad Things. If you haven’t seen that flick, you must see it A.S.A.P.!!!! It is definitely one of the darkest comedies you will ever see. Berg followed up Things with The Rundown, starring The Rock, which was much better than the silly action movie it could’ve been. After that? Friday Night Lights! I will say right now that Lights is the best football movie of all time! There’s intensity, feel-good moments, and some truly sad ones. An all-around perfect sports film.

Now Berg tackles The Kingdom, his most powerful film yet. From the opening credits, which are the most original and captivating of the year, this film grabs you and never lets go. From Berg’s intense, but controlled, handheld camerawork to the slam dunk editing, The Kingdom is quite the nail-biting movie-going experience.

Speaking of biting your nails, by now most of you have seen the commercials that say, “The last 30-minutes are so intense, you won’t be able to move.” I’m here to back up that quote. I’ve seen this film twice already and both times I felt the tension on-screen, especially during one no-holds barred fight-to-the-death sequence that’s sure to be the most talked about scene in the finale.

The Kingdom is the kind of movie that people will say, “You don’t want to miss!” That, my friends, is the truth!

Overall Review: **** stars

Best Lines:

Foxx: No, are you okay? He slapped you.

Bateman: I didn’t say “I”, I said “FBI”.