The Kingdom“

Film as a Cautionary Tale”            

The Kingdom begins off with a chilling introductory course on the recent history of the eponymous Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, beginning with the discovery of oil there in 1933 to our nation’s alliance with them seemingly because of said oil, and up to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in which nearly all of the terrorists just happened to be Saudi citizens.           

A horrifying terrorist attack hits an American compound outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing dozens of American citizens in drive-by shootings.  The carnage culminates in the detonation of a catastrophic bomb that kills even more, including some U.S. government officials aiding in the search and rescue at the grisly scene.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation, charged with investigating any crimes against American citizens abroad, is not allowed to investigate this one, as is Royal Saudi policy.  Nonetheless, a team of four special agents, led by Ronald Fleury (Academy-award winner Jamie Foxx), goes to the kingdom anyway, with the reluctant blessings of the Saudi government.           

There, they are hamstrung by Saudi government policies and cultural rules, and are introduced to a world that most of us do not want to believe exists but does.  All the while, Fleury and his agents, with just five days in the kingdom, race to discover who committed these heinous attacks with the aid and appointed protection of Saudi State Police Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi.           

The Kingdom is a scary movie.  Probably one of the scariest I have ever seen.  To get a glimpse into the inner workings of the Saudi government and culture is pretty frightening at times, and will be even more so for those who have no idea what goes on the Arabian Peninsula.  Nonetheless, the film is an engrossing and entertaining one, directed with skill and flair by writer/director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights). 

It features a spot-on cast led by Jamie Foxx (Ray), who is proving to be at the top of his game.  Foxx gives an almost effortless performance, on par with the screen giants of the day.  He is supported ably by Jennifer Garner, once again in the “tough woman” role, but this time with a little more heart and substance, Oscar-winner Chris Cooper, always a treat to watch, and Jason Bateman as the sarcastic and sardonic Agent Leavitt.  However, the true standout is Israeli Ashraf Barhom, who portrays the aforementioned Colonel Al-Ghazi with an honest, endearing, and almost homespun charm.  Many times, we watch the film through his eyes.  And his interactions with the American federal agents are often poignant, and sometimes hilarious.           

The Kingdom is one the best movies of this year, in this humble reviewer’s opinion.  Not because of its fairly subtle message on how America interacts with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but rather because it is a taut, well-acted thriller set against a strange and surreal background that also happens to be totally and utterly real.

---