Wahlberg moves through the film with almost enough confidence to brush off this sort of giant logic problems, but the more complications and violence Contraband throws your way, the harder it is to believe the movie has any idea what it's doing. Chris sneaks on to a container ship and marshals some of his buddies from the old days to help him pick up crates counterfeit cash of Panama City, sell it off back home in New Orleans and repay his brother-in-law's debt, all while leaving his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons back at home in the same town where those angry drug dealers live. With so much invested, why on earth would he turn in a movie so plodding, so unconcerned with the basic cause and effect beats of storytelling, or so convinced of its own grittiness while also lacking any real-world logic? There is a Mark Wahlberg movie about counterfeit money smuggling we would all fall over ourselves to see, but Contraband scratches the surface of that idea just enough that you badly wish you were seeing the better version.Īs described in some flatfooted expository dialogue at the beginning of the film, Wahlberg's Chris Farraday and his BFF Seabastian (Foster) "were the Lennon and McCartney of smuggling" before they gave up the game, but of course, Chris is called in for "one last job" when his brother-in-law runs afoul of some drug dealers. But Contraband marks the directorial debut of Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur, who made a splash there with similarly themed thrillers, and who starred in the original Icelandic version of this story, Reykjavik-Rotterdam. Simmons- who seem equally half-asleep as he is. Contraband Cinema is an Atlanta, Georgia based microcinema inspired by Craig Baldwins Other Cinema in San Francisco - an ongoing series of experimental. Except that it's not.It's not too surprising that Wahlberg would sign on for something like this, or that he could put together a supporting cast- among them Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, J.K. But we're supposed to believe that since everyone is dirty except Chris (sort of), it's all good. At one point, virtually everyone in the movie says, "You better do this or I'll kill you." And none of them are exaggerating. Indeed, the film teaches us that, to survive the economic downturn, we need to turn to theft and fraud and be clever enough to deceive (or kill) the cops and/or baddies who are trying to stop us. Contraband Thriller Release Date : 2012 (India) (WorldWide) Cast : Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale Director : Baltasar Kormakur Cast & Crew Story Review Audience Review Others Synopsis. And action scenes feature blinding violence that makes a rather frightening point. The score consists only of "isn't this scary" electronic pulsing. The dialog never attempts to obscure the cliches. The characters are trite stereotypes that give actors like Foster and Ribisi plenty of scope to chomp mercilessly on the scenery. But Chris is such an expert that he makes sneaking, hiding, driving and even welding look easy.ĭirector Kormakur (who starred in the original Icelandic version, Reykjavik-Rotterdam) assembles this without ever resorting to subtlety. The absurdity of the story in the largely thrill-free thriller Contraband, its hairpin twists and outrageous. And this continues right to the end, with such obstacles as the ship crashing into a dock, a money-drugs switcheroo, a character lapsing into substance abuse, a frantically crazed (and irrelevant) armoured car heist, and nosey customs officials. Listen to trailer music, OST, original score, and the full list of popular songs in the film. The script is so blunt that we feel battered within about 10 minutes, as the story lurches from one contrivance to another. Find all 22 songs in Contraband Soundtrack, with scene descriptions. This involves Chris and Andy travelling by ship to Panama to collect counterfeit bills from a crazy dealer (Luna), then furtively returning to America. But when Kate's brother (Jones) falls afoul of New Orleans thug Briggs (Ribisi), Chris and his pal Sebastian (Foster) have to plan "one last job" to get the family off the hook. There isn't a single moment in this film that feels authentic, as cast and crew charge hardheadedly through a ludicrous series of obstacles that would be comical if the film wasn't so insistent on grunting with explosive machismo every step of the way.Ĭhris (Wahlberg) is a notorious smuggler who has gone straight to have a quiet life with his wife Kate (Beckinsale) and their two young kids.
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