Available at Amazon.com
Director :
Peter Berg
Cast :
Jamie Foxx……….Ronald Fleury
Chris Cooper……….Grant Sykes
Jennifer Garner……….Janet Mayes
Jason Bateman……….Adam Leavitt
Ashraf Barhom……….Colonel Faris Al Ghazi
Ali Suliman……….Sergeant Haytham
Jeremy Piven……….Damon Schmidt
The Movie
A funny thing happened after Ray for Jamie Foxx. He went from being the star of such luminary films as Booty Call to being on the A-list of actors for nearly ever prestige picture. After critical acclaim in Jarhead and Dreamgirls, Foxx is once again at the forefront of another film aimed at the Academy Awards in The Kingdom. Originally slotted for April, the overwhelmingly positive results from test screenings were convincing enough to put the film into Oscar contention. Which is a good decision because The Kingdom is one of the year’s best.
Foxx stars as Ronald Fleury, head of an FBI direct response unit. When a well-coordinated and deadly attack on a foreign workers compound in Saudi Arabia leaves plenty dead, including several FBI agents, Foxx heads up a response unit that has five days to find the man behind the vicious attack. Together with a crime analyst (Jennifer Garner), an explosives expert (Chris Cooper) and the resident wise-cracker (Jason Bateman), the film begins as a 90 minute police procedural and finishes with a final act that is perhaps the best of the decade so far in terms of both its intensity as well as its pace.
If one didn’t know any better one would think this would be a film by Michael Mann. The film’s intensity, pace as well as its subtle character development are all hallmarks of the legendary director and yet Mann is only the film’s producer. The vision behind The Kingdom is longtime character actor Peter Berg, who previously had helmed critical hits Friday Night Lights and The Rundown; Berg obviously has been influenced by Mann but has a style that’s a tad different. He incorporates a lot of the same shots that Mann is famous for, but Berg adds some things to it as well in the film’s final act.
For the first 90 minutes of the film it’s a top-notch police procedural, as Foxx and his team have to adapt to the foreign environment and try to assist the Saudi police force in trying to apprehend the killers responsible for the massacre. There’s an air of uncertainty afoot, as Berg creates an atmosphere of urgency that’s incredibly gripping. Berg’s creative touch takes over for the film’s final third, as the plot goes from a police procedural into an action extravaganza. As Foxx and his team navigate a fighting zone, Berg keeps the intensity coming as he pulls out every trick in the book and adds another. From RPGs exploding everywhere to close-quarters combat, Berg turns up the intensity and makes it feel that maybe the good guys won’t win this round. It’s the sign of a veteran, mature filmmaker who knows exactly the sort of story he needs to tell.
Berg is also blessed with a top-notch cast as well. While Chris Cooper may have had the better performance in Breach earlier this year, he’s no slouch as the crusty Southerner who is an explosives expert. Jason Bateman provides plenty of comic relief, and Foxx carries the film with his unique blend of charm and intensity, but the film’s pleasant surprise is Garner. Known for more action roles that require her presence moreso than her acting, she holds her own on the screen with her more dramatically established cast mates and has perhaps the film’s best action sequence towards the end.
Plenty of films get their release dates moved due to a variety of reasons, most of them having to do with the quality (or the lack thereof) of the film. The Kingdom was pushed back to place in its proper venue, prestige picture season, and its DVD is timed right before awards season.
A/V QUALITY CONTROL
Presented in a widescreen format with a Dolby Digital format, The Kingdom has a pristine release onto DVD. The film’s colors, which are diverse, come through cleanly and clearly and there is no grain at all on the print. The audio component is just as good, really coming through in the film’s big action sequences.
The Extras
Deleted Scenes are included and are essentially are extended scenes as opposed to true deleted scenes. They were cut for time purposes, it seems, as the information from the excised moments is revealed as well.
Character by Character: The Apartment Shootout is a unique feature in which it goes through the entire Apartment Shootout sequence that serves as the main finale and shows the main characters exclusively through the sequence. It’s really interesting to see, as Berg filmed the segments individually and then meshed them into one narrative. It makes for a real interesting look at the final shootout.
Constructing the Freeway Sequence focuses on the development of the Freeway Sequence, which Berg relates to being the end result of 90 minutes of “cocking a bow,” i.e. being its eventual release. Focusing on the cast describing their character back story leading to the events, as well as Berg working hand in hand with the stunt people to develop the stunts, it’s an interesting piece that shows the stunt as its being prepped on set to its actual completion (complete with camerawork as well). There’s lots of on-set footage of the event, as Berg is shown giving direction to the cast and it’s markedly interesting to see Berg work with his cast on a quick dress rehearsal before the actual filming.
Creating The Kingdom is a behind the scenes piece. Berg’s original idea for the film came from the Khobar Towers bombing and how he was interested in the concept of an FBI investigation in Saudi Arabia. Berg, whose office is near Michael Mann’s, went down to Mann’s office and they came up with the idea behind the film. Authenticity was a main goal for the film, which wanted to have a feel like it could actually happen. The FBI was cooperative, allowing the principle members of the cast and Berg attend their “Bomb School” where they got to learn all about explosives alongside police personnel and the FBI agents who actually do the jobs Garner, Foxx, et al, portray in the film. It’s interesting to see how much work the cast went through in Berg’s quest for authenticity; Foxx was in charge of the crew in a paintball game as well as in charge of exercises in which they cleared rooms, et al. It’s a very comprehensive feature, going beyond the usual EPK exercise and going into some depth about the film. The scenery, which is a dead ringer for Saudi Arabia, was created in Arizona and the entire look and concept of the film was about being authentic. Berg’s enthusiasm is something to behold on set, as he’s extremely active; it’s clear that he’s passionate about this project.
History of The Kingdom: An Interactive Timeline is a feature focusing on Saudi Arabia’s long history, mainly focusing on the turmoil of the country and its interactions with the U.S. It lends a historical perspective to the proceedings.
Feature Commentary with Director Peter Berg
