- Date of Release: 26 May 2023
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- Language: English
Kandahar
Introduction
Onto the second release of the day and I finished watching the new English film Kandahar which will start streaming on Amazon Prime from 16th June onwards. There is something about the thrillers from the Middle East which are always compelling if done right. It was recently that I had watched the Guy Ritchie directed film The Covenant which was a compelling tale of brotherhood set against the backdrop of terrorism. What that film did right was to explore the underlying emotions of the locals without coating them with the same paint and that did overpower some of the stereotypes of the film. The war/spy thrillers need to go that extra mile to set themselves apart from the rest of the dramas set in that part of the world. And I was expecting a similar kind of quality with Kandahar which also did star Ali Fazal in one of the leads. So then does Kandahar manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Kandahar follows the story of an undercover CIA operative who must escape after his cover is blown off. Does he manage to succeed in escaping? The story did have the potential to tap into the operatives while lacing them with the right kind of emotions. But the story is so dull in contrast to what it promised that it fails to engage the viewers at so many junctures. The screenplay standing at a shade under 2 hours is inconsistent and bland that is devoid of any sort of excitement.
The drama starts off on a promising note with the CIA operative trying to install a malware in the Iranian research facility. There is an effort made in creating a world and introducing the viewers to the various stakeholders with their ulterior motives that does tie up an engaging premise. But once the conflict is introduced in the drama, the meat in the drama suddenly begins to dissolve. The writers could have explored the drama by taking it in different directions. The politics of the area could have been tapped into along with an emotional angle regarding the local but the drama continues to remain safe by never really raising the stakes.
The proceedings did have the potential to keep the viewers engaged by just focusing on the hardcore action as the protagonist had to make his way from point A to point B. But even the action sequences were so timid that the tension was never escalated at any point. If you have watched The Covenant, there was tension that was momentarily built up in every scene with several high points throughout the screenplay(even if I were to take the emotional angle out of the equation). But here, the stakes are never really raised and it makes for a bland watch in many ways.
Some of the action setpieces lacked the appropriate lighting and that was such a shame. I had to adjust the brightness of my screen for viewing the content and even then certain objects weren’t visible. The one-dimensional narrative neither engages you with the action nor are you emotionally invested in the journey of the characters. The drama is half-baked and even the events leading up to the final act are uninspiring. The final act is abrupt and it never gives you a high. Overall, the screenplay is as flat as a pancake that is super bland in taste too.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are just about alright bit nothing much to shout about. The BGM is average and it doesn’t quite do much to enhance the overall viewing experience. The cinematography lacks imagination, the editing is decent. Director Ric Roman Waugh misses the mark with his direction. If you are barely connected to the drama and just going through the motions, then it is safe to say that the director had an off day in the office!
Performances
The performances are decent but the cardboard characters ensure that none of the them have depth. Navid Negahban as Mo is pretty good and atleast tries to add emotional depth to his character. Ali Fazal as Kahil looks at ease and does a good job in a character with a rather confused ideology. Gerard Butler as Tom is pretty one-dimensional and he doesn’t quite manage to score with the depth of the character.
Conclusion
Kandahar is a messy drama that turns out to be a slog, a timely reminder on what a brilliant film The Covenant was, tackling a similar subject. Available on Amazon Prime.