Although it may be officially called Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, the new feature from the beloved British filmmaker doesn’t feel like a Ritchie flick at all. His usual directorial flourishes such as frantic jump cuts and offbeat dialogue are nowhere to be seen, as are the shirtless fisticuffs and sharply suited gangsters that are often featured in his work. As actor Dar Salim emphasizes to us, “this is not your typical Ritchie film, it’s a new type of Ritchie film”.
Salim stars as Ahmed, a local interpreter who is working for Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) during the Afghanistan War, risking his life day-in-day out to fight alongside the Americans. Exploring their relationship and complex bond, we see how the two embark on a Herculean effort to save each other when trouble brews. So, whilst it is indeed a war movie that features plenty of impressive action scenes, ultimately it is an emotionally affecting story about not necessarily friendship, but the beauty of humanity.
