Seems like we're getting back on an even keel with the rating viewings now. Quite liking the new pag...
Seems like we're getting back on an even keel with the rating viewings now. Quite liking the new pages in a way. Thanks for all your rates.
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It's not often that a film with big names slips past my radar, but The Contract is certainly one that went unnoticed by me. Released in 2006, the film was a bit of a flop, despite having Morgan Freeman and John Cusack as its top billing stars.
So, why wasn't it a success? And was it unfairly a disappointment, but really a hidden gem? Well, I can certainly eradicate this second question: it's not a gem. The film starts off with a few scenes to explain to us that ex-cop Ray Keene has recently lost his wife to cancer. Struggling to cope with the loss is their teenage son, Chris, getting into trouble with the law.
Elsewhere, contractor Carden is planning his next assassination, with his team of ex-military mercenaries. The two stories converge when a captured Carden ends up being caught and transported to jail, the car crashing in the woods and custody
being passed over to a camping Ray and Chris. Ray switches into cop mode, determined to redeem himself in the eyes of his son by doing the right thing. With Carden's mercenaries in hot pursuit, Ray must escort the vicious criminal to custody.
In essence, this film has the basics in the plot to be a solid film, and for parts of it, it's not too bad. However, the majority is a disappointment, and nothing really happens of any note until near the end. I found myself subjected to a very slow process that's over an hour and a half long. Cusack is below par, surprisingly enough, giving an almost resigned and lacklustre performance. A far cry from roles in films such as Grosse Point Blank, he ambles along for most of the film. To a certain extent, it's a testament to his ability as an actor that he is able to do this and still make it a fair showing - it's justg not up to his usual standards.
Freeman is renowned for his relaxed, calm and almost intellectual exterior. Recent performances in films such as Wanted have shown this, as well as older ones such as The Shawshank Redemption and James Patterson's Alex Cross movies Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider. An actor with so much charisma should command the screen a lot better than he does in The Contract, and the relationship between the two lead actors is somewhat let down by his performance as much as Cusack's.
And then there is the believability. A ruthless killer such as Carden would have had multiple opportunities throughout the film to escape or even capture Ray and Chris, even more to kill them. There are even scenes where he sort of saves them, thus aiding their attempt to deliver him toe the authorities.
Similarly, the fact that a man and his son can out-track Carden's men (one of whom is a brilliant tracker) spoils it. It is this lack of reality about the film that destroys it for me - the rest of the film then seems pointless with things like this happening. It is dragged up a bit by a little bit of suspense, with something a bit more sinister going on behind the scenes, involving the Secret Service, but it's still one of those elements where its place in the film is easily questioned.
Overall, there seems to be a bit too much of throwing it all in and hoping it works. The acting is way below what you would expect from two stars such as Cusack and Freeman, with the supporting cast following suit, as you would expect. I found myself watching it, as the action scenes are okay. There are a couple of violent fight scenes, too, and there is no shortage of violence throughout the film, with some swearing thrown in for good measure, hence its 15 certificate.
The DVD is currently available from amazon.co.uk for £4.98. I saw this on TV, and so am unaware of any extras, but I wouldn't bother with them even if I had the DVD. I'm not really interested in finding out exactly how they managed to make this film so disappointing. Director Bruce Beresford must take a lot of the criticism for this disappointment. The camera work is decent, but the acting is substandard for who we have here, and the ebb and flow and reality of the minor elements are just not believable enough to enjoy.
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Production Year: 1992 - Thriller, Drama - Director: Uli Edel - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Anne Archer, Joe Mantegna, Willem Dafoe, Madonna, Julianne Moore, Jurgen Prochnow
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Every killer meets his equal. Ray Keene (Cusack) a father who wants to redeem himself in ... more
the eyes of his son is trying to bring Cordell (Freeman) a world-class assassin to justice. All the while he must protect his son and evade an assassin's team...
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Jun 2nd, 2009
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