Scarface98.9
07-13-2007, 01:21 AM
I just got back from an advanced screening in the Bay Area of The Kingdom, a new movie from director Peter Berg. It stars Jennifer Garner, Jaimee Foxx, Jason Bateman, and Chris Cooper as a team of FBI agents sent to Saudi Arabia after a series of suicide bombers strike a softball game, eliciting a massacre.
I got the tickets through Blockbuster and will keep this brief:
Story: The movie starts with a flashy credits sequence to condense the history of Saudi Arabia into a four minute montage, followed by the massacre that sets the story in motion. The story follows Jamie Fox, the de facto head of the team with his attempt to get permission to go find out what happened and assembles the team. The firs half of the movie plods along to a degree, taking its time and I did shift in my seat a few times. Once they arrive in Riyadd, the movie begins to get really interesting and picks up.
Acting: One of the reasons I saw the movie, honestly, was because Jason Bateman is in it since I'm an Arrested Development mark. I single him in the movie because to a degree, he gets the most to do as the dry comic relief of the movie. He helps break the tension and got a lot of laughs out of the audience. The rest of the cast is fine, although it isn't really a huge actors showcase, nor are they given the big oscar moments to shine in. Jamie Fox does his schtick as the intense, caring leader, Chris Cooper filling in the holes, and Jennifer Garner doing a lot of frowns and attempts at crying. She spends half the movie with a sour puss on her face and although she still looks good with it, it's not the most emotive role she's ever had. Jamie Fox and Garner aren't given a whole lot to do, but they do their roles well.
Direction: Peter Berg seems to have taken some cues from Paul Greengrass and Alfonso Cuaron since he directs most of the movie hand held, especially in the action scenes. It's used to great effect in the last 30 minutes of the movie. The documentary approach can work but has the danger of being overkill, and many war movies I've seen have fallen victim to this. The action in this movie is very gritty and gruesome, the best comparison I can make is to the eternally underrated Munich. There are a few times when the handheld doesn't work that well, mainly in unsteady closeups where it becomes a nuisance, but there is a lot of restraint, and it works.
Overall, I really liked the movie. The first act could've been tightened up a bit more but for a political thriller/action/war movie, it does its job well. Smarter people than I can elaborate on all the relationships and themes present in the movie, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm giving my rough thoughts. I'd give this an easy thumbs up and comes out in September.
8/10
I got the tickets through Blockbuster and will keep this brief:
Story: The movie starts with a flashy credits sequence to condense the history of Saudi Arabia into a four minute montage, followed by the massacre that sets the story in motion. The story follows Jamie Fox, the de facto head of the team with his attempt to get permission to go find out what happened and assembles the team. The firs half of the movie plods along to a degree, taking its time and I did shift in my seat a few times. Once they arrive in Riyadd, the movie begins to get really interesting and picks up.
Acting: One of the reasons I saw the movie, honestly, was because Jason Bateman is in it since I'm an Arrested Development mark. I single him in the movie because to a degree, he gets the most to do as the dry comic relief of the movie. He helps break the tension and got a lot of laughs out of the audience. The rest of the cast is fine, although it isn't really a huge actors showcase, nor are they given the big oscar moments to shine in. Jamie Fox does his schtick as the intense, caring leader, Chris Cooper filling in the holes, and Jennifer Garner doing a lot of frowns and attempts at crying. She spends half the movie with a sour puss on her face and although she still looks good with it, it's not the most emotive role she's ever had. Jamie Fox and Garner aren't given a whole lot to do, but they do their roles well.
Direction: Peter Berg seems to have taken some cues from Paul Greengrass and Alfonso Cuaron since he directs most of the movie hand held, especially in the action scenes. It's used to great effect in the last 30 minutes of the movie. The documentary approach can work but has the danger of being overkill, and many war movies I've seen have fallen victim to this. The action in this movie is very gritty and gruesome, the best comparison I can make is to the eternally underrated Munich. There are a few times when the handheld doesn't work that well, mainly in unsteady closeups where it becomes a nuisance, but there is a lot of restraint, and it works.
Overall, I really liked the movie. The first act could've been tightened up a bit more but for a political thriller/action/war movie, it does its job well. Smarter people than I can elaborate on all the relationships and themes present in the movie, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm giving my rough thoughts. I'd give this an easy thumbs up and comes out in September.
8/10