Contraband (2012)
Brief review: The little known fact about the first major action release of 2012 is that the movie is a remake of the 2009 Icelandic film "Reykjavik-Rotterdam", which the director, Kormákur, starred in. "Contraband" is a bit of a mixed bag, because while it suffers from a hackneyed premise, needlessly intricate, yet predictable plot and complete lack of originality, it's still constantly entertaining to watch, and filled with tense scenes, exciting action, dramatic twists and interesting characters. Baltasar Kormákur's direction reminds the one of Paul Greengrass, featuring tons of unsteady camera movements and fast, intentionally clumsy zooms. The hand-held shooting style and the harsh, grainy cinematography give a more realistic and gritty feel to the film, even if the visuals themselves are hardly eye-pleasing and probably a bit too moody for mass tastes. The cast is well-chosen, and the acting is pretty good for the most part. Mark Wahlberg is the center of attention here, and thankfully, he doesn't disappoint. The role of a former contrabandist suits him perfectly, and he does a solid job in portraying his character in a believable manner. The gorgeous Kate Beckinsale is convincing enough as his wife, but she barely has enough screen time to make an impression. Ben Foster also delivers as the two-faced best friend of Chris, but it's Giovanni Ribisi as Briggs that gives the most memorable performance of them all.
Overall summary: Despite its occasional predictability, dated premise and depressingly moody visual atmosphere, "Contraband" is still a decent and finely-crafted action thriller, that provides enough drama, twists and thrilling moments to satisfy the average moviegoer.
Overall summary: Despite its occasional predictability, dated premise and depressingly moody visual atmosphere, "Contraband" is still a decent and finely-crafted action thriller, that provides enough drama, twists and thrilling moments to satisfy the average moviegoer.
