Review 2 1/2 out of Four
“Contraband” is a movie that’s fast and forgettable and you
can’t really fault it for that last part because it’s basically trying to be
that way.
Adapted from an Icelandic film with a name you probably won’t be able
to pronounce anyway, the film stars Mark Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, a former
children.
Just when his brother-in-law (Caleb Landry Jones) pisses off the
wrong people, namely a roughneck drug smuggler named Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi),
Chris’ family is immediately put in harms way and so he must hire a crew and
sail off to Panama where millions worth of counterfeit bills will be waiting to
be smuggled back into the states
Neither a terribly interesting or informative flick about guys who know how to
smuggle things into the country or much of an action flick (all we get is one
lame shoot-out), this is what it is because of a few nice plot twists, menacing
thrills offered up by Ribisi (being that the film is set in New Orleans, his
accent and wild-eyed craziness might be the best thing about the movie), solid
work by Ben Foster, playing Chris’ best friend, and implausible but
entertaining sneakiness as Chris and co. use clever ways of moving their loot
from point A to B.
And Wahlberg is solid as the dutiful family man, bringing
his usual blend of smarts and toughness to the role. “Contraband” is slight but
it has enough enjoyment to keep you from writing-it-off completely.
