Contraband
Directed by: Baltasar Kormakur
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster,
Giovanni Ribsi, Diego Luna, and J.K. Simmons
Rated: R for violence, pervasive language, and brief drug use
The Mark Wahlberg action thriller Contraband is a re-packaged version of his film The Italian Job, just with grittier settings, family dynamics, and no glitzy car chases. The film follows Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, an ex-smuggler, who got honest and out of the business once he settled down with his wife (Beckinsale) and family. However, when his brother-in-law fails to deliver a run, the responsibility to pay it back falls on Chris and his family, which sends Chris back to do one last job; smuggle millions in on container from Panama. Like all heist movies, nothing goes according to plan, and soon Chris is trying to both pull off his master scheme and save his family. Besides the performances of the seemingly typecast Ben Foster, who gives a somewhat solid-performance as Chris’ troubled best friend, and Giovanni Ribsi, who plays the dealer that threatens Chris’ family, everything else is relatively forgettable in Contraband, even from an action-thriller stand point. It is also littered with profanities throughout the film, and the portrayal of Wahlberg’s character as a “good bad-guy” is as troubling as it was in The Italian Job, when, once again, Wahlberg’s character was portrayed as a "good guy" despite his criminal dealings. Just because a man has scruples doesn’t give him integrity and just because a movie has action doesn’t make it exciting.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster,
Giovanni Ribsi, Diego Luna, and J.K. Simmons
Rated: R for violence, pervasive language, and brief drug use
The Mark Wahlberg action thriller Contraband is a re-packaged version of his film The Italian Job, just with grittier settings, family dynamics, and no glitzy car chases. The film follows Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, an ex-smuggler, who got honest and out of the business once he settled down with his wife (Beckinsale) and family. However, when his brother-in-law fails to deliver a run, the responsibility to pay it back falls on Chris and his family, which sends Chris back to do one last job; smuggle millions in on container from Panama. Like all heist movies, nothing goes according to plan, and soon Chris is trying to both pull off his master scheme and save his family. Besides the performances of the seemingly typecast Ben Foster, who gives a somewhat solid-performance as Chris’ troubled best friend, and Giovanni Ribsi, who plays the dealer that threatens Chris’ family, everything else is relatively forgettable in Contraband, even from an action-thriller stand point. It is also littered with profanities throughout the film, and the portrayal of Wahlberg’s character as a “good bad-guy” is as troubling as it was in The Italian Job, when, once again, Wahlberg’s character was portrayed as a "good guy" despite his criminal dealings. Just because a man has scruples doesn’t give him integrity and just because a movie has action doesn’t make it exciting.
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