Directed By Guy Ritchie

Starring – Jake Gyllenhaal, Alexander Ludwig, Antony Starr

The Plot – Follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.

Rated R for violence, adult language throughout and brief drug content

GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT | Official Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

In the twenty years of the Afghanistan War, a littany of films were produced to tell the many heroic and even misunderstood sides of the life-altering conflict, but none dedicated to the vital link between regions that help to bridge the gap of language barriers. That changes with “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”, where Ritchie not only vividly illustrates the sacrifices that translators made in being outlawed as a traitor to the Afghan population, but also the uneasiness of preconceived prejudice that came from their American commanders, which wasn’t always the easiest transition to make when their superiors lacked respect for the very same ethnicities that were responsible for killing some of their closest friends. This compelling juxtaposition is what especially drives most of the movie’s conflict and the ensuing anxieties that conjure from some tensely riveting action sequences, with a sedated side to Ritchie’s direction that works surprisingly well in the confines and context of a real life war with all of the historical significance to consider. As to where Ritchie is typically known for these exaggerated and unnatural action sequences that often breed fun ahead of realism, here his concern is invested firmly into the dynamics of the various environments, with intensely intricate sound designs rattling off a thunderstorm of ammunition, as well as claustrophobic camera angles transcribing a lack of levity to the surrounding odds that are often against the favor of our solidier protagonists. Ritchie still saves time to show off the visionary within his approach, but mostly for sequences of mental trauma, where some clever editing choices and colorful collusion tastefully distorts reality with nightmarish imagery and blurred continuity that seamlessly immerses us in the plight of the plagued, with an inescapable emphasis for the confines of war that reside in the memory of its victims long after they leave. Ritchie also conjures some meaningful performances in the duality of his protagonists, with Gyllenhaal’s unchained aggression and passionate urgency conveying a man with all of the weight in responsibility resting firmly on his responsible shoulders. Jake is great as expected, but the heavy-lifting of physicality lends itself more towards Dar Salim, who with an eye-opening turn supplants as much heart and humanity to the design of his character that takes his character miles further than I would ever expect in a film where he is fourth billed. His Ahmed really is the definition of perseverence and resiliency, as he’s constantly throwing himself in harm’s way for a better life for his family, with heroic instances that unexpectadly allow him to capture the focus of the narrative for thirty of the most meaningful minutes of the two hour run time. Lastly, the stunning score here from Christopher Benstead doubles down on the elements of danger that are enhanced audibly by orchestral instrumentals and even voice echoing that articulate the urgency and helplessness of war’s most unforgiving encapsulation. Benstead evolves the compositions with unordinary expectations, taking the instrumentals in directions that abstractly differentiate something varying between respective sides that they define, with some of his best work as a composer to date.

NEGATIVES

Ritchie’s latest is a good film that falls just short of being great, mainly due to some intruding hinderances that consistently cuts short its building momentum. For starters, the characterization is almost entirely flat, with nothing of conveyed substance or creative articulation allowing any of these solidiers to stand out from one another. This is even the case for Gyllenhaal’s John, whose only defining trait is his ability to often let his eccentric anger outbursts get the best of him, with scenes that sometimes border tonally on the side of condemning, due entirely to the ridiculousness of the execution that I find hard to believe was the best take that Ritchie used. As for the fallen, their loss and tragic element would’ve mattered so much more if they were given even five minutes to garner something substantially defining in their dynamic to Gyllenhaal and the film, which only would’ve antithesized further with time. Beyond the flat characters, the film occasionally meanders on certain sequences that pad its run time towards not always the best use of its two hour run time. There’s nothing that completely lost my interest or tested me in ways that completely bored me throughout the engagement, just moments when I wish the editing was a little more persistent in its influence, especially during a moment where Ahmed nurses John back to health, and his literal dragging of this character metaphorically represents the dragging of the pacing, which grinded to a screeching halt during this section. Finally, the momentary humor, while admirable for trying to inflict some levity to sequences of overwhelming tragedy, never effectively hit its target, and occasionally took away a bit more integrity from the sequences they aforned than I would’ve appreciated. The dialogue of the film is war movie stock at its most conventional, but even worse when combined with these moments of dry humor that attempt to conjure something palpable for the aforementioned lack of characterization, but instead come across as Ritchie feeling a bit uncomfortable in a film of his with as little humor as possible, in turn creating a momentary tonal clash that simply wasn’t needed.

OVERALL
“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” isn’t the most meaningful movie of the Afghan war, but it is a full-throttle wartime thriller with all of the intensity of the director at his most compelling, without any of the exaggerations in enhanced elements that have defined his familiarity. While some of the story’s characters or relationships feel frustratingly pedestrian, the suspenseful and moving elements transcribe reality to an otherwise fictional narrative, and when balanced by a duo of meaty performances in the form of Gyllenhaal and Salim, keep it firing on all cylinders, even if its aim isn’t always accurate.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-