Fresh off the entertaining-if-by-the-books “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre”, Guy Ritchie has set his sights on a more serious war drama, “The Covenant”.
It’s often titled “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”, ostensibly to distinguish it from another film with the same name. And it’s a warranted clarification, given that this movie is markedly different from the director’s other efforts such as “Sherlock Holmes” and the live-action “Aladdin”.
Set in 2018 with the United States army still stationed in Afghanistan, John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a sergeant and platoon leader who has been tasked with locating where the Taliban is manufacturing explosive devices.
Needing a new interpreter for the platoon, Kinley enlists the help of Ahmed (Dar Salim), a local mechanic and former Taliban sympathiser, to interact with the locals as part of the mission. But when things go horribly wrong, Kinley and Ahmed find themselves on their own, in dire straits and struggling to survive.
The film portrays a slow-burn friendship between two men who have to fight alongside each other in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Compelling leads
With numerous accolades to his name, saying Gyllenhaal is a strong and capable actor worthy of this demanding role is an understatement.
The “Ambulance” and “The Guilty” star plays the part expertly, from a no-nonsense and stoic character who, later safe at home, exhibits helplessness and anger upon learning that Ahmed – who risked his own life to save him – has been forced to go into hiding from the Taliban.
Wracked by PTSD, Kinley is kept up at night wondering how he can rescue his saviour, his guilt and anguish conveyed brilliantly by Gyllenhaal, allowing you to share in his frustrations.
Iraqi-born Danish actor Salim, too, delivers an exceptional performance as Ahmed. Scenes of him dragging an injured Kinley across the desert to the US army outpost are gruelling and hard to watch, but are shown with such intensity and emotionality that viewers aren’t able to look away, either.
Indeed, able to convey plenty with just a glance or a frown, Salim doesn’t need many lines for you to understand where his character is coming from.
Together, these two actors have a chemistry that sizzles the screen even as they’re dodging literal bullets. It’s also this connection between the characters that pushes Kinley to return to Afghanistan to save his comrade, which in turn leads to the climactic final act.
Actionwise, Ritchie portrays the brutality of war through the clever use of cinematography and sound, especially in scenes where bullets and gunfire happen far too quickly for the characters, or the audience, to otherwise register.
If there is a small downside, it would be when it comes to pacing. While it’s understandable that “The Covenant” focuses a lot on Kinley and Ahmed for a more grounded and human story, certain segments can be quite laborious, with some scenes and players introduced or set up with no payoff.
While a bit of trimming could have resulted in a tighter, more satisfying watch, “The Covenant” is nevertheless a valiant effort from Ritchie, and his foray into war films should certainly satisfy fans of the genre.
‘The Covenant’ is screening nationwide from today.