Review of THE COVENANT: Honorable Heroes

May 11, 2023

In 2018, Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) was a soldier in the US Army Special Ops in Afghanistan.  When his former translator was killed in an ambush, Kinley hired the services of another Aghani, Ahmed (Dar Salim), to translate for him during their inspection missions searching for weapons caches. Ahmed needed this job not only to make a living, but also as a personal mission against the Taliban whom he blamed for his son's death.  

At first, Kinley did not appreciate Ahmed's frankness of tongue and independent actions on his own without seeking Kinley's approval. Eventually, Kinley realized that Ahmed was a valuable asset in their work, as he was able to interpret beyond what the locals were saying. One day, when Kinley was severely injured during a fiery encounter with the Taliban. It was up to Ahmed to try and bring Kinley back to their base miles away through enemy fire.

This was another one of those gritty war movies set in the Middle East, in the vein of "The Hurt Locker" (2009) and "Zero Dark Thirty" (2013). This one focused on the relationship of two men which was bonded and burnished through the intense pressures in the battlefield. The second act of the film was dedicated to how Ahmed risked everything to rescue Kinley. The final act was dedicated to how Kinley risked everything to pay Ahmed back. 

Jake Gyllenhaal is someone who can disappear into any role, and he was totally into this one. His Kinley was serious as a working soldier, but he was passionate as a grateful friend desperate to return the huge favor he received. Dar Salim grew up in Denmark as a child refugee from Iraq before becoming an actor. His Ahmed was smart, pragmatic and capable, a man whose dedication for his family made him a very sympathetic character. 

Guy Ritchie had certainly grown a lot since his directorial debut with "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998). Most of his most famous films had been big and flashy, like "Sherlock Holmes" (2009), "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (2015), and "Aladdin" (2019). However, with "The Covenant," Ritchie trimmed off all his stylistic excesses to deliver a stark dramatic film, which may be called predictable and melodramatic, but definitely had a big heart.  7/10.