2012, R
Starring: Mark Whalberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster, Kate Beckinsale, Lucas Haas, J.K. Simmons
This is a film that shows the seedy business that goes behind the scenes of the smuggling on cargo ships between Panama and Louisiana, and depicts the scummy areas people live in - why the heck anyone would want to live in such an area; if you grow up there, you probably have a different opinion.
After years of being out of the Contraband business, Chris Farraday has started a new life, one with his security installation business, and a more ‘normal family’ life with his wife (Kate Beckinsale, “Serendipity,” “Underworld”) and children. However, when his wife’s brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones, “No Country For Old Men,” “Summer Song”) who’s just a teen gets into doing drug runs for Tim Briggs a big-time drug lord (Giovanni Ribisi, “The Other Sister,” “Boiler Room,”) and brother of one of Faraday’s old business partners in smuggling, things go terribly wrong. Faraday has to get involved and do ‘one last run,’ to help pay back around 700k to Briggs (Ribisi) that his brother-in-law owes him after losing his drugs.
The movie turns out well, some get caught, some don’t and walk away with a bundle of cash and by accident get a Pollack painting worth more dough. Most of the movie seems realistic, but then some of the scenes are too close to call, and you wonder – how on earth could someone get away with it. But Marky Mark sure pulls off one of his biggest Contrabands yet!
'Contraband' still portrays Whalberg as a tough-good-yet bad guy-flairing nostrils and all, as he is usally type casted in these kinds of roles, and Ribisi did a nice grisly job, and is believeable. Makes you wonder what they are like in real life - just kidding.
The movie also stars J.K. Simmons (“Spiderman III” “The Ladykillers”) as the captain of the cargo ship, and Ben Foster (“Liberty Heights,” “The Punisher” “30 Days of Night”), who plays close brother-like pal of Whalberg’s.
It’s worth checking out, but wait until Redbox or On Demand.
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