{"id":1940,"date":"2012-03-15T16:16:09","date_gmt":"2012-03-15T16:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1940"},"modified":"2012-03-15T18:19:35","modified_gmt":"2012-03-15T18:19:35","slug":"contraband","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/action\/contraband\/","title":{"rendered":"Contraband ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Chris Farraday in Contraband<\/em><\/a> is another \u201cmade for Mark Wahlberg<\/a>\u201d part, the kind that allows this Boston-born star the chance to tap into his own tough upbringing experiences of being on the wrong side of the law, while showing a softie side. Although perfectly cast in the likes of Four Brothers<\/em>, The Departed<\/em> and The Fighter<\/em>, like his comical Terry Hoitz role in The Other Guys<\/em>, Contraband<\/em> is not all grit but has some surprising hidden wit, complete with a running joke threaded through for the audience\u2019s amusement in a tale of corruption, deception and good ol\u2019 family values that excuses all the bad behaviour.<\/p>\n

Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones<\/a>), botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi<\/a>), Chris is forced back into doing what he does best \u2013 running contraband-to settle Andy’s debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian (Ben Foster<\/a>), for one final run to Panama and back, hoping to return with millions in counterfeit bills. Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale<\/a>), and sons become their target.<\/p>\n

Seasick-inducing, handheld camerawork aside at the start, Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Korm\u00e1kur<\/a>\u2019s Contraband settles down to gradually become an adrenaline-throbbing heist that doesn’t drop the intensity ball for one second, complete with a corrupt New Orleans setting and stellar cast fit for purpose. From Wahlberg to Foster to Ribisi, each actor embodies the kind of role we\u2019ve seen them play time again, naturally making the status quo believable. The only initial oddity to get used to is Ribisi\u2019s chipmunk voice, but his violent, weasel ways soon put to bed any giggles that arise. As a Brit, a bedrangled-looking Beckinsale is also fully convincing as Farraday\u2019s suffering wife, getting the accent and battle-harden characteristics down to a tee as a tough mother prepared to defend, whatever the costs.<\/p>\n

Like a less slick Ocean\u2019s<\/em> flick, most of the detail of the heist in Contraband<\/em> \u2013 including lots of different and intriguing ways of smuggling onboard a larger container ship \u2013\u00a0is as paramount to the makeup of the plot as the big-screen action. It doesn\u2019t disappoint on the thrills and spills either, allowing hard man Wahlberg the arena to shine in the best way he knows how. Making a mockery of the law and authority provides escapist moments of pleasure too, demonstrating the lighter side of the dangerous work, while playing to our sense of deviance. It\u2019s the potent Robin Hood mentality at play again, with loveable rogues just righting the injustices in life, without necessarily changing their own spots.<\/p>\n

As familiar and generic as some of the happenings in Contraband<\/em> actually are, Korm\u00e1kur\u2019s thriller sets sail with enough puff, dynamics and intrigue to see it safely dock at the end of its voyage, complete with devilish humour and an expert lead at the helm in Wahlberg to tie up all the loose ends. It\u2019s as physical as its environment of tough shipping and hardened personalities, and uses these features to set it aside from the standard heist movie, making for a solid, gutsy and realistic watch.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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