Kingdom

With support of the American action cinema, serious problems like death, war and destruction are often treated with triviality. A bad guy being killed is reason for applause ; an explosion is like a pyrotechnic show. Director Peter Berg's new film, The Kingdom, about elite FBI agents investigating a terrorist attack in the Middle East, has all the malicious accessories that people would want to see. HOWEVER, it's difficult to imagine audiences laughing and cheering this time, even though there is violence and atrocities.

In Matthew Michael Carnahan's screenplay there is carnage, wreckage and bloodshed, BUT above all, tWith support of the American action cinema, serious problems like death, war and destruction are often treated with triviality. A bad guy being killed is reason for applause ; an explosion is like a pyrotechnic show. Director Peter Berg's new film, The Kingdom, about elite FBI agents investigating a terrorist attack in the Middle East, has all the malicious accessories that people would want to see. HOWEVER, it's difficult to imagine audiences laughing and cheering this time, even though there is violence and atrocities.

In Matthew Michael Carnahan's screenplay there is carnage, wreckage and bloodshed, BUT above all, there is a sense of political awareness. It's not as polemic or as refined as other US political movies, BUT it is still different from the Hollywood's archetypal action package, Correctly assuming that not all of his audience is familiar with Saudi Arabian history, Berg's , opening credits contain a summary of recent events connecting the USA and Saudi Arabia.

THEN we're transported to an American compound where we see a shocking terrorist attack on a softball field. AFITER THAT, FBI agent Ronald Fleury ( Jamie Foxx ) brings together an elite tearn ( Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper ) to go on a secret 5 - day mission to Saudi Arabia.

WHEN they get to Saudi Arabia, HOWEVER, it becomes clear that the Saudis are not happy with the visit from the world police. They view the terrorist attack as an internal matter. The taste of violence remains throughout the film, THOUGH its action scenes are conservatively distributed, The Kingdom asks the viewer some very importabt question. One of them is a potent reflection on religion - inspired violence. "Does Allah love your children more than mine?" " What side of the door do you think Allah's on ? " , asks Jamie Foxx in his own conflict zone. Worth checking out. State theatre 4:50 pm/sun 15 12:30 pm/mon 16. Reviewed by Matt Briant.