The Contractor follows James Harper (Pine), a soldier who is unceremoniously discharged from the military after being wounded. Facing money troubles and still wanting to serve, Harper enlists with a private military contractor. His first assignment sends him to Europe to surveil a scientist with possible terrorist ties. But when things go wrong he finds himself caught in a game of cat and mouse as he attempts to get home to his family.
Tarik Saleh may be going for a Bourne-esque action thriller with The Contractor, but it starts out as something very different. Our introduction to James Harper feels more like a commentary on the plight of wounded military personnel than the beginning of an action movie. Forced out and forgotten, Harper meanders his way to a job working alongside his old army buddy, Mike (Ben Foster). For the most part the movie looks very authentic, and Chris Pine gives a very genuine performance, unsurprisingly. He and his Hell or High Water co-star, Foster, are great together. Seeing them reunite is a particular highlight, even if it means the rest of the cast are left with little to do, including Kiefer Sutherland as the big boss.
Unfortunately, for an action movie The Contractor takes way too long to get to the action, which among other things means the ending is left feeling rather rushed. After a little Bourne-Light spycraft the movie finally moves into the action-filled (but not quite packed) third act, beginning with a well shot and rather tense raid. It was nice to see that Harper's war wound actually plays into the narrative, that he's not as capable as he once was. From there things start to go down hill with a couple of predictable twists and bad guys with shooting skills akin to Stormtroopers, as our boy tries to make it home in one piece. At times even this can come across as a little too easy, which only adds to the feeling that the filmmakers struggled to fit everything in before the end.
Ultimately, Chris Pine delivers a relatable performance as a wounded veteran trying to serve both his family and his country, but in a movie that can't seem to decide what it wants to be. The Contractor is neither compelling drama nor engrossing action thriller, settling instead for something oddly generic.
4/10
Which brings us to our second feature...
Eight years after a hostage situation ends in tragedy, the CIA believes the hostage takers had help from someone inside the Vienna station. Agent Henry Pelham (Pine) - who was working in Vienna at the time - is tasked with investigating potential suspects. One of whom happens to be his ex-girlfriend, former agent Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton).
Before delving into the mystery that drives this story we are introduced to the couple at its heart. They may be sat at a table for the most part, but Pine and Newton sizzle as their characters revisit this tragedy and confront some old feelings. Their complicated history really draws you in, and it's mainly thanks to their excellent chemistry. By jumping between the events of the past and Pelham's interrogation of his two suspects - Jonathan Pryce gets the lesser role as Harrison's retired boss - director Janus Metz is able to slowly dial up the tension. Watching the different perspectives fit together like a puzzle proves to be quite intriguing, as we try to figure out who the bad guy is.
Despite all this intrigue, however, the movie squanders its slow build to the truth by playing it rather safe with the plot. The big twist is more than a little predictable, and it's only made worse by the fact that the writers missed a perfect opportunity to take a little risk. Instead of choosing a much darker - more interesting - path for the movie to take, they opted for the more generic and clichéd approach. And after all that build up, the tantalising back and forth between players, the movie is left deflated by a reveal that lacks any kind of punch, relegating it from thriller to moderately interesting drama.
Thandiwe Newton and Chris Pine shine in this story of love, espionage and betrayal. But they aren't able to save it from a generic plot and a rather disappointing twist.
6/10
There we have it. Chris Pine's recent appearance on Amazon Prime Video proves to be a tad disappointing. Pine is good in both The Contractor and All The Old Knives, but the movies themselves fall short of their potential. Still, it's not a terrible way to spend an afternoon.
What did you think of The Contractor and All The Old Knives? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.
Comments
Post a Comment