Jake Gyllenhaal plays a US Army Sergeant who goes on a mission, but when things go wrong, his interpreter goes to extreme efforts save his life. Later, he returns to the country to rescue his interpreter from the Taliban. Except for the middle 30 minutes when he’s back in the US, the rest of the film is gripping in a less blatantly violent way than Guy Ritchie’s usual wild style. As a matter of fact, with this film he’s demonstrating his ability to use restraint, while still telling an absorbing story. Gyllenhaal creates a strong, steely character, while Dar Salim, as the interpreter, gives a quietly powerful performance. Our appetite for war movies may be limited, but this one makes a moving argument for the rescue of these interpreters, while wrapping it in an effective and sometimes gripping action drama. BTW, the reason given for putting the director’s name above the title is that there was already a 2006 film called The Covenant. 
(3.5 / 5)
