Peter Berg, 2007 (7*)
This is a surprisingly good and timely action-adventure from actor-turned-director Peter Berg as it involves anti-US terrorism in the middle east. There are several gripping action sequences that will stand out from standard car chase fare. The film begins with a horrifying terrorist attack on a U.S. residents kids softball game in Saudi Arabia. After all the carnage, an FBI investigator stationed there is among the dead. The FBI in Washington wants to send its own team in to investigate, but it’s against US policy, inflaming an already tense situation.

Well, of course the team gets there or we’d have no story. Jamie Foxx is the leader, Chris Cooper the bomb expert (there's two Oscar® winners), Jennifer Garner the eye candy, a friend of the dead agent, and Jason Bateman the comic actor here misappropriately used for a serious and violent role. Richard Jenkins is his usual pro self in a small role as their FBI superior, Jeremy Piven is miscast as the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia – I kept expecting an agent style rant about growing balls from Ari on Entourage.

There’s an exciting freeway sequence, and an urban shootout that are both terrific, riveting and involving. They also had access to shoot in the royal palace of Dubai (or was it U.A.E.?), so all locations look very authentic. Of course the plot is a predictable, down a star for that, but the Arab acting of Ashraf Barhom, best in the film [Supporting Actor nomination maybe!], more than makes up for the John Wayne style of the Americans. Berg best to me is still Friday Night Lights.