Kandahar Break

There's nothing wrong with the story of Kandahar Break. I did a little research and it seems that this film is the Director/writer's first feature film. That's the problem with it. It shows. I won't mince words. Some of the filming is very good, but a lot filming of the action is ordinary. I'll go right out on a limb here. I question the casting of the lead. He looks very indoors white and soft, not to mention almost a tad overweight, and not a classic front man, to play such a brave and action-orientated role. In the movie they say he has a background in Africa, and has been in Afghanistan briefly recently. He's also an expert on mines, seemed to knows guns, which probably indicates a military background. I'm sorry, but, to me, he just didn't look the part. I kept that under my hat though and ended up enjoying the movie, mainly because the story was good, with lots of twists and definitely not beyond the bounds of plausibility, and all the actors were obviously very committed with an authentic script. It lacked the zing, shock and splatter of gunshots of more modern movies, but this is a decade old. I liked a lot of the photography of the countryside, but I felt it needed a dedicated cinematographer. For a first movie Kandahar Break is much more than just a good first effort, and does deserve praise. It is unique, yet a simple action/escape movie, which has very authentic imagery and culture and good actors, but should not to be confused with movies such as The Hurt Locker (2008), The Kingdom (2007) or Kandahar (2001).

Kandahar Break managed to break one perception I had before watching the film of where it would actually be shot. Admittedly, the crew did have to relocate and complete the film in Tunisia, but as this was due to the sad loss of Pakistani crew members, killed by Taliban insurgents. The filmmakers here took the brave and worthwhile step of filming in the afghani-Pakistan border, and made a film that is all the more enthralling for it. The storyline centres around an English contractor paid to clear minefields, and having to navigate the minefield of relations to the local people and the Taliban Government (the film is set from 1999). Lead actor and actress perform well, I think the actress is a newcomer and absolutely stunning. Keep looking for this director as I would expect this will be a good platform for him to move on well in the film industry.

this film is an Islamic morality tale with two lessons.

one: is the oppressive nature of Islamic law.

two: is how dangerous the ignorance and arrogance of westerners can be in an Islamic country. and how that ignorance can create dangers beyond western comprehension.

and i saw it all coming within the first ten minutes. i cringed so much at the obvious outcome, that i fast forwarded to the end--an end that acted as a metaphor for the u.s. led invasion.

this script does not work in a post 9/11 west--which is no doubt why it was set in a pre 9/11 afghanistan. i can't imagine anyone out there who is not familiar with Islamic oppression, as it has been constantly publicized by western powers to justify the intervention.

overall, this movie is not worth the time it takes to watch it. and i love war movies. it's not worth watching, unless it preaches to a choir to which you belong.

There are incorrect practices portrayed in movie about Islam. This movie is not the place to learn about Islam and make comments about facts on Islam.

4 persons are needed in witnessing adultery otherwise no action can be taken. Be warned to not learn about Islam through movies such as this. Grow up. Find out and learn.

The movie is about the good and the bad in humans. The uneducated will choose the path that is to their preference irregardless of the laws of the countries or laws of religions.

Seek knowledge. Seek knowledge. Seek knowledge.

So, you hear the title 'Kandahar Break', and your mind is instantly drawn to preconceived comparisons to all the war films of recent years you have seen. Trying to artistically, and/or factually, portray the horrors of the middle-east that have occurred over the past decade. But don't worry, you're not the only one who did this. I did too, what else do you expect? With films like 'Jarhead', 'The Hurt Locker', and 'The Green Zone' all having their crack at taking an artistic stance on the current political situations masked with their own stories. So why would you even bother to watch another one of these many types of films? Perhaps, because unlike the others, there aren't any gun-toting militia displaying vague humility and fighting for their country to highlight patriotism, entice us with script and visuals, and perhaps tell us how bad things are as well.

Kandahar Break, is in fact, a simple drama centered around love. But not your simple 'Pride And Prejudice', oh no, one enshrouded in corruption and intrigue. In fact, could you call it a love story? Perhaps not, a survival story perhaps? Culture clashes? For what you initially perceive to be a standard 'war film', in fact comes at you with many a surprise. It's very refreshing to see someone break away from archetypical expectations and use these settings for something a lot more interesting.

But in implying this film has a romance at its core, it shouldn't be assumed that this film is a "date movie" or any such like. This actually has the potential to appeal to a variety of tastes. It is not without its social commentary, but that is to say the film is not focused on it. These things happen in the background while something much more seemingly simple in terms of plot happens in front. It feels as if all the complex scenarios of the environment have been shoved aside. But this I see as an incredibly positive thing. This strengthens the emotional intent of the protagonist and allows you to open a window into perceiving his priorities.

Some of the acting can leave a little to be desired, though under the circumstances this isn't such a deterrence. The story in fact is gripping enough to be able to allow you to set aside the very minor discrepancies in performance, at least on first viewing. Though with this being David Whitney's debut feature, there is a lot to be commended for, as filming in Pakistan was not without its troubles. Some of the dangers shown on screen, in actuality, happened to the crew themselves. With four of the Pakistani crew members being wounded after being shot at by Taliban, the shoot had to be relocated to Tunisia to finish the film. Not only does this make the film an on-screen adventure, but a very real (and dangerous) one too.

After winning awards at Newport Film Festival (UK) for Best Film and Best Actor, as well as for Best Feature at the Philadelphia Film Festival, it's apparent that all this effort was not wasted. Though it doesn't need to win awards to prove this. Despite small flaws in some performance, this an immensely impressive first feature from a new director, and shows tremendous potential for a future career.

A fantastic colour palette, original, superbly directed, well written and brilliantly executed. This is an 8 out of 10, a film not to be missed.