Previous Oscar-winners Paul Haggis and Robert Redford may be angling for new golden statutes as they release commentaries on the Iraq film in Hollywood-form later this year, but for my money, they’re already having to stand in the shadow of director Peter Berg’s brilliant take on the complexities of the war on terrorism with The Kingdom.

After treating us to a brief history lesson in the year’s best opening credits, we’re witness to not one but two attacks on innocent American and Saudi civilians and officers. Four FBI agents played by Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, and Jason Bateman force themselves on the case in order to solve the crime that took the life of many, including their friend and colleague. It would be a simple detective procedural if not for one little factor: the entire case is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have five days to find those responsible while being constantly hamstrung by the Saudi military and the cultural gulf between the two countries, not to mention making themselves fresh targets for terrorists.

It may be sold as an action film, but The Kingdom is a drama that just happens to have two major action scenes. When these action scenes arise, they’re tense, unpredictable, and heart-pounding. But they ultimately pale next to the nuanced storytelling and performances in the film. The film has been well-researched yet never pretends as if it has any answers to the deep complexities and has no delusions of grandeur that there’s an easy resolution to our conflicts within the Middle East. And despite stellar work from the big stars, it’s actually the supporting work of Ashraf Barhom which truly connects us to Saudi Arabia. Barhom's performance helps us understand that this country is neither good nor evil (nor really is any country) but one where we must understand the nuance and complexities inherent in its culture and history before we can even begin to comprehend our relationship with them and to a larger extent, the Middle East as a whole.

The Kingdom never preaches or grandstands as it has enough wit, intellect, and confidence to make for an entertaining film but as it ends on a chilling yet painfully honest note, it stands tall as a brilliant mainstream approach to the issues which loom large in the U.S.-Middle Eastern affairs.