Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant
U.S. Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself injured in combat miles from base and stranded deep in Afghan enemy territory, but, with the aid of his interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim), there’s a chance he may live to return stateside, but what about Ahmed’s fate? The bond between the two can only be described as a covenant.
Written by Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies, and Guy Ritchie and Directed by Ritchie, this hyper testosterone fueled film checks the action and wartime valor boxes thoroughly. Although, with the exit of the U.S. occupancy in Afghanistan so fresh in the public mind, there’s something that feels “too soon” yet also “never forget” about this film that serves as an important reminder to the blunders of the U.S. government and its hubris across party lines. Meanwhile the heavy lifting from both Gyllenhaal and Salim and their ability to play off of each other’s subtleties is what truly sells the film overall. Further, score from Christopher Benstead is particularly notable in that it proves to drive the film without the typical Ritchie rock and rolla style soundtrack. Running two hours and three minutes in length this slightly bloated story could stand to lose a few extra minutes but still works overall. Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant is rated R.