Published: September 27, 2007 01:51 pm            

MOVIE REVIEW: 'Kingdom' should reign supreme

Some directors produce great work the moment they burst onto the scene, a la Orson Welles and “Citizen Kane.” Others need time to experiment and hone their craft, a la Peter Berg.

Berg’s first feature-length picture, “Very Bad Things,” was pretty well panned, despite a cast including Cameron Diaz and Jon Favreau. He followed that with the superior-yet-still-flawed action-comedy “The Rundown.” Then came his breakout: “Friday Night Lights.”

That picture was so good that he was able to spin it into a popular television series, and “The Kingdom” proves it was more than an accidental success.

“The Kingdom” stars Jamie Foxx as Ronald Fleury, an FBI agent who leads a team into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to investigate a terrorist bombing inside a Western housing compound. His mission is complicated because his team’s presence in Saudi Arabia has created political controversy, and it may be the next terrorist target.

Because of this, Fleury and company - FBI agents played by Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman - have their investigation handcuffed by the Saudi police, who have been instructed to protect them, but not help them.

“The Kingdom” is a first-rate political thriller that works on multiple levels, not the least of which is as an indictment of the United States’ unflinching loyalty to Saudi Arabia. As the film begins, it points out that the majority of the terrorists involved in the Sept. 11 attacks were Saudi, and it continuously asserts that the country is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

“The Kingdom” isn’t, however, an anti-Saudi film. The lead police officer, Faris Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom) is painted as an unflinching Saudi patriot who is every bit as disgusted by the terrorist bombing as his American counterparts. And, as the film progresses, he develops an increasingly strong bond with Fleury.

“The Kingdom” earns a recommendation even for those who don’t care for political sermonizing because it works equally well as a detective thriller and - toward the end - as an action movie. Berg paces the intricately plotted story perfectly, keeping things exciting while also simplifying the complex political issues.

The film was shot primarily with hand-held cameras, giving each sequence a coarse look that serves the material well.

The cast of “The Kingdom” is also a major part of the film’s appeal. Foxx and Cooper are typically great, and they get apt support from Garner and Bateman. Also wonderful is Barhom, whose performance as Al-Ghazi is among the most stirring to hit theaters this year.

The September release of “The Kingdom” continues this year’s welcome trend of good - if not outstanding - movies hitting theaters during a season typically devoid of quality. It also continues Berg’s winning streak, one that we now expect to continue for years to come.

Rated R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence, and for language.

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THE KINGDOM (R) Three and One-Half Stars (Good-to-Excellent)

Excellent political thriller starring Jamie Foxx as an FBI agent who leads a team into Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist bombing inside a Western complex. Director Peter Berg succeeds in making compelling political statements within the framework of a taut action adventure. Also stars Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Ashraf Barhom and Jason Bateman. Directed by Peter Berg. Universal Pictures. 110 minutes.

        

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