Guy Ritchie and Jake Gyllenhaal’s latest action/thriller is the story of a local interpreter (Dar Salim) who goes above and beyond to ensure the safety of an injured American sergeant (Gyllenhaal). 

As someone who doesn’t typically watch war films, for Ritchie, Gyllenhaal, and the promise of a thrilling chase sequence, a lady can make certain exceptions. Luckily, this exception is one I don’t regret, thanks to The Covenant‘s engaging story/dialogue and well-choreographed action sequences.

Ritchie’s film captures well the connection between the two men who find themselves in one life-or-death situation after another. We get to witness their challenging emotional and physical journeys as they travel and fight while surrounded and in enemy territory.

I admit that there was a point during the first fifteen minutes when I wanted the story to progress a tad faster. And later, when I wished the scenes where Gyllenhaal’s character spends a lot of time on the phone had been written/edited slightly differently. Still, besides these two relatively minor issues, I had fun and thoroughly enjoyed the ending.

Moving forward, I’m going to remember The Covenant for making me look at the name John in a whole new light. Shockingly, this new perspective has nothing to do with Gyllenhaal’s character being named John Kinly, but rather, the meaning of the name John as it’s explained in the movie.

The Covenant is a good war film, but one that’s not too gruesome, so, watch it if you’re curious.

Happy Film Loving

G