In Theatres September 28th, 2007
A team of U.S. counter-terrorism investigators set out to find the perpetrators behind a deadly attack on Americans in a Middle Eastern country. In order to work through the bureaucracy and cultural hostility, the team enlists a local police officer.
I attended an advanced screening the other night of the new Jamie Foxx movie, The Kingdom. The description under this trailer pretty much sums up the plot.
I went into this movie expecting a "pro USA propogandist take" on the current War in Iraq, which can happen historically in Hollywood during war time to help rally American support pushing more and more reasons on why its important to keep any given war going, while giving many "us versus them" justifications.
Instead, I walked away from this movie feeling that director Michael Mann took the higher road and gave us all something deeper to think about which affects us all as human beings. Understanding people of the world and what may motivate or drive them to do good or evil. The consequences and repercussions of war when two sides continuously go after one another and a whole group of people including both sides aren't even sure what we are fighting for in the first place while many others may believe they know exactly why they or we are fighting it.
Also, what came to mind was the importance of knowing the lives, cultures and reality of people around the world and all that has happened in their countries over the years, decades and centuries so that some real healing can begin before another unnecessary war is begun.
This movie stayed with me for hours after I saw it. I left the theater with both a heavy heart for the present situation and even the immediate future mixed with the thought and hope that things must change for the present and future so that no more unnecessary harm may be done to anyone that doesn't deserve it when it comes to war and that includes all sides. The film is done in a very "real time" way with certain scenes seeming to be pulled straight from today's headlines on the war in Iraq. The theme of what is a country's foreign policy also came to mind. As in, should our foreign policies be changed for better so fewer mistakes are made before a war is even begun?
What impressed me about this movie was the beginning when they showed a brief history of the relationship between The United States of America and Saudi Arabia. As the movie progresses, that helped explain the relationship they explored betweeen the two countries when a situation such as a war with a third country is a reality and also showed what I thought was an accurate picture of all that is done to keep that "golden relationship" going while the war continues with that third country all for many reasons; political, economic, greed, power, etc.
Michael Mann directed Jamie Foxx in Ali, Miami Vice and Collateral and his other films include The Last of the Mohicans, Heat and The Insider to name a few.
The action scenes were really well done as were the many scenes in Saudi Arabia. With Michael Mann's directing style for action sequences including many fast hand-held camera shots and Jamie Foxx's acting ability which seems to get better and better over time, this movie was worth a look-see.
Mann and Foxx's relationship as director and actor appears to be very solid and growing. For overall story content and the way they helped the movie watcher to really understand many current issues including the Iraq War and even inspiring folks to really read more papers of the world on why The USA is even fighting this war in the first place, and all the things that can keep a war going whether manufactured or real, I give this film a thought provoking A.
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