For a major January release (usually the big studio dumping ground) “Contraband” is actually pretty solid. This action/drama starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Baltasar Kormakur doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t, a straight forward diversion that works on its own level.
Wahlberg plays Chris, a former smuggler now legit – with a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two kids. When his brother-in-law (Caleb Landry Jones) botches a drug deal for a local dealer (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced back into the business for one more job.
It’s all formula and fairly predictable, but “Contraband” is also fairly likeable. This is a film that knows what its audience came to see and doesn’t deviate from that basic premise. Kormakur keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. It all goes by so fast that you are willing to overlook that it gets kind of convoluted in the final act.
The cast is also pretty good. Wahlberg is in his comfort zone, while Ben Foster is his usual reliable self as Chris’s best friend. Ribisi’s work borders on camp, but I still liked it. There is also a great small, yet memorable performance J.K. Simmons as a no-nonsense captain of a ship Chris is using for his job.
It all adds up to a fun little flick that is a pleasant surprise in a month usually reserved for the unpleasant.
Grade: B-
mcompton
