The Covenant

Gyllenhaal knows how to pick his war flicks. The title attributes the film specifically to Ritchie, but it's Jake Gyllenhaal who carries the film. The cynical ending was something baffling, but other than that this was a very component and entertaining film, though nothing too memorable.

Kinley and his team are ambushed by the Taliban. He manages to escape with his local interpreter Ahmed, but they are alone in hostile territory and the way back to the base is treacherous. Things get worse when the Taliban manage to wound Kinley, but Ahmed is determined to bring home his commander.

The film is split into two clear narrative halves, and while the first part is better, there's a stylistic coherence that made it easy to transition between the two. Decent performances, a worthy score, and a tense plot made this prime entertainment. As long as you manage to look past the cheesy US military propaganda that is.