Review: The Kingdom (2007) · 6:32am Nov 26th, 2015
Peter Berg's intense, 2007 thriller is an unjustly overlooked entry into the terrorism film sub-genre. Being both a politically charged and action packed thriller, Berg creates a film that still holds relevance, even eight years after its release.
It must be said that Berg is a fan of the much maligned shaky-cam camera technique, and there are some moments here and there that do feature a noticeable amount of it. However, Berg makes up for those moments by creating a tightly wound, perfectly paced thriller, while also being a film capable of slowing down, and exploring the intricacies of the Arab conflict, in a way that is smart and intuitive, a fact bolstered by Matthew Michael Carnahan's screenplay.
The acting is also solid, with Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper and Ashraf Barhom giving strong performances. Everybody is invested, and there's no showboating, which helps keep the film visceral and real.
Danny Elfman does an excellent job at creating a brooding, intense score, and Mario Fiore's camera work helps give the film a hot, simmering aura so befitting the desert climate.
Suffice to say, this film is one of my favorite thrillers, and I think a very solid and well made genre faire. Thankfully avoiding any major political posturing or speechification, it manages to entertain and provide some great, well made thrills.
5 out of 5 stars
