When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a housing compound in Saudi Arabia, an international incident quickly arises. FBI Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) quickly negotiates a top-secret five day trip to the compound in order to capture those responsible for the bombing. Along with his team (Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman) Foxx arrives in Saudi Arabia and quickly notices that the American's are anything but welcome. The Saudis want to capture the killer just as badly as the Americans; however, they want to do it on their own terms. As the time ticks away a bond forms between Foxx and Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhoum) and working together they group finds themselves face to face with those responsible in a kill-or-be-killed altercation.
The Kingdom is a fast paced, high action account of a group of FBI agents willing to do anything and everything they have to in order to find justice. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat and will leave you breathless as the last half hour is by far the most powerful half hour of film so far this year.
Jamie Foxx leads an all star cast, including TV stars Jennifer Garner (Alias) and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) who all pull their own weight and bring about flawlessly created characters. With Garner bringing some femininity to the film and Bateman pleasuring us with random stints of humor, the film is all around obsessive and fun.
During the film's entirety The Kingdom has its characters interacting with Saudis causing focus to often be centered around the ways the Saudis interact, their views on Americans and the customs of their lifestyles. This small aspect gives the film a relatable feel to it and causes the viewers to realize just how hard it is to go overseas and conduct businesses effectively.
Another strong aspect to the film is its script and cinematography. The story is complete, not overly done and proves to be one of the few films of the summer that doesn't try to outlive its central story. Mix that with the amazing use of camera angles and scenery that captures the backdrop of the beauty and serene landscape in Saudi Arabia to the fast paced, violent forefront of war and the film is just as captivating physically as it is emotionally.
Don't miss what is easily one of the best films of the year!!
