by Christian Grullon, Contributing Writer
Gerald Butler once again plays a character who grinds his way out of seemingly impossible circumstances in the new film, Kandahar. Butler’s latest flick was inspired by the real-life experiences of the movie’s writer, Mitchell LaFortune, a military intelligence officer deployed in Afghanistan. His deployment happened in the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks, and the story centers on all the uproar from the leaks in 2013.
Kandahar starts with CIA operative Tom Harris (Butler) focusing on an Iranian nuclear reactor. He is undercover as a telecommunications contractor to help get stronger, but things get a little intense when his cover is almost blown. To save his cover, Tom distracts by showing how to stream sports on his phone.
Unfortunately, the reactor blows up the next day, and everyone tries to figure out who is behind the explosion. Even though Tom seeks to attend his daughter’s graduation, his wife has to remind him about it while asking to sign off on divorce papers. This turns out to be very complicated when his handler, Roman Chalmers (Travis Fimmel), informs Tom that he is tasked with taking out more of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
At first, the mission would supposedly last three days, and he meets with his translator, Mohammad Doud (Navid Negahban). Unfortunately, Tom is in trouble when his work in this shadow conflict is exposed. The movie manages to unravel perfectly for immersion in the story.
One of the best things about Kandahar is the cinematography, which shows some of the beautiful parts of the Middle East. Although the characters are immersed in war trials, their vulnerable and humanistic qualities are excellently fleshed out; these are real people with loved ones outside of the conflict. Director Ric Roman Waugh does not hesitate to punch home the human threads of war.
The cinematography from MacGregor gives a feel for what life in the Middle East can be like. Despite some of its beautiful landscapes, there are low sandblasted buildings, cars, roads, and lots of deserts, hills, rocky areas, and constant heavy traffic.
The characters and the action take time to develop, and as the film progresses, there is more suspense and interest. Real life events take a lot of time to unravel, so it’s not surprising that the movie doesn’t immediately jump into action. This is Butler’s movie; whether it is his impressive action sequences or his zeal to see his loved ones, his presence is felt. Do not expect any Mission: Impossible or Austin Powers-type action, though, because Kandahar is authentic to real life events.
The dialogue does feel bland at times, but it is intense enough to immerse you in the story and almost feel like being in the character’s shoes. Although the pacing drags in the middle of the film, the storyline, intense dialogue, beautiful cinematography, and storytelling all do just enough to make up for it.
Score: 8/10
Kandahar is currently playing in theaters
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