Contraband

Plot synopsis:
Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-smuggler who works installing security alarms and lives a peaceful life with his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and their two little sons in New Orleans. Chris and Kate learn that her brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) was smuggling drugs aboard a cargo ship but during a surprise inspection by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol was forced to drop them overboard. Andy's boss, ruthless mobster Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), is infuriated and wants Andy to repay him the drugs' worth in money.Chris intervenes to save Andy. Chris meets Briggs, who tells Chris if Andy doesn't pay $700,000 in two weeks, Briggs will kill Chris' family. Chris decides the only way he can raise that amount of money in two weeks is to run contraband. He joins the crew of a cargo ship which his father Bud (William Lucking), currently in prison, previously used to run contraband. Chris needs to buy $10,000,000 in fake US currency in Panama and smuggle it into the U.S. with the help of Andy and Chris's old friend Danny Raymer (Lukas Haas). While Chris is gone, Briggs and two accomplices break into Chris's house and scare his wife and kids. When one of the kids pushes a thug, he accidentally fires off a round into the wall. Briggs and his two accomplices leave and Chris asks his best friend, Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster), to watch over his family.In Panama, the Chief Engineer gives Chris extra time by sabotaging the ship's pitch propeller, drawing suspicion from Captain Camp (J. K. Simmons). However, Chris discovers that the bills are useless, not starch-free paper, and refuses to accept them. The only one who can provide them good ones is crime lord Gonzalo (Diego Luna). Meanwhile, Briggs attacks Kate in her house, after which she accepts Sebastian's offer that she and the children move to his apartment. He then calls Andy and threatens to kill one of his nephews if Andy doesn't use the buy money intended for the fake bills to acquire a stash of cocaine. Andy runs off with the buy-money, leading an infuriated Gonzalo to force Chris and Danny to participate in an armored car heist. Chris and Danny are assigned with the job of blocking the armored car, which strikes their van and upends it. The van is shot through holes by the robbers and police. Gonzalo and all but one of his men are killed in a firefight with the police.The lone survivor gets in an armored pickup with the painting and Chris and Danny jump on board. They make it back to Gonzalo's warehouse, and get into a van loaded with the counterfeit money. Chris also grabs the Jackson Pollock painting from the dying mobster before they escape.A Scottish gangster Jim Church (David O'Hara) threatens to kill Sebastian if he doesn't repay the money he borrowed to save his fledgling construction business. Sebastian wants the drugs Chris is bringing into the U.S. to save his business. He begins working with Briggs against Chris. When Sebastian calls Chris, Chris tells Sebastian he might drop the drugs bought by Andy in the ocean. Sebastian tells Briggs to scare Kate. Briggs drives his SUV into Chris's house and slams Kate into a mirror, warning her to tell Chris to complete the mission and to tell Chris to "not dump It into the water." Sebastian arrives and pretends to rescue Kate from Briggs. Sebastian tells Kate to get in his truck, but Kate smells alcohol on his breath and doesn't want him to drive them. She grabs her children and drives off.At the Panama City container yard, a ship crew member has a container readied that Chris drives the contraband-loaded van into. The crew member bribes a freight-yard supervisor who delays loading three containers, giving Chris time to make it to the ship. Chris beats Andy up for stealing the money and spending it on cocaine. Andy reveals to Chris that Briggs was going to kill Chris's son if Andy refused the offer. Kate calls Chris and tells him what Briggs did to her and what he said. Chris is surprised that Briggs knew the idea of Chris dumping the drugs. First, Chris suspects Andy of being disloyal, but after Andy persistently tells Chris he didn't say anything, Chris figures out it was Sebastian. Chris calls Sebastian and threatens to kill him.Eventually Sebastian's constant watch over Kate becomes tiresome to her. Kate leaves a friend's house and goes back to Sebastian's apartment to retrieve some personal items. Sebastian, under the influence, tries to force himself on her. Kate resists him and runs to the bathroom and locks the door. Sebastian insults Kate calling her a brat and a uppity bitch. Kate then persists on calling Chris, informing him of what Sebastian tried to do. Sebastian tells Kate not to call Chris, telling her he needs to complete his mission and Kate calling him would ruin everything. Kate begins to call Chris, and Sebastian rams his shoulder to the door, busting it open and sending Kate flying and she his her head against the edge of a sink. She falls unconscious. Sebastian panics, thinking she's dead. He wraps her body in plastic, preparing to dispose of her body. Sebastian throws Kate's unconscious body in a hole, planning to have his construction workers fill the hole the next day, covering up the evidence of Kate's death.After the ship leaves Panama, Sebastian contacts Captain Camp and tells him that Chris is smuggling aboard his ship, but threatening to dump it overboard. He promises the Captain a share if he makes sure Chris doesn't throw it overboard, which the Captain agrees to, reminding him to pay his share up front next time like everyone else. The Captain tried to persuade Chris to give him the location of the cocaine on the ship, but Chris refuses, so the captain calls U.S. Customs and Border Protection and tells them that someone is running contraband on his ship. Knowing that the Captain is a germaphobe who had brought his own portable carpet cleaner aboard ship, while the captain is eating Chris hides the drugs in the carpet cleaner's water-tank. When the customs agents arrives via helicopter and boat, they search the ship but cannot locate the drugs.After Andy leaves the ship, Briggs and his thugs chase Andy. They capture him and Briggs throws Andy in a van. Chris devises a plan to implicate Captain Camp in drug smuggling.The Captain leaves the vessel and drives home, unknowingly carrying the drugs in his carpet cleaner. After Customs allows Chris to leave, he meets Briggs in a desolate area of the cargo yard where Briggs threatens to kill Andy. Chris breaks Briggs's car window and drags him out of the car, and beats him up for everything he did to his family. Chris tells Andy to run while Briggs's thugs hold Chris at gunpoint. Chris takes Briggs to Captain Camp's house, using a duplicate house key he made while on the ship, and knowingly activates Camp's security system. Chris opens the trunk of the captain's car and removes the carpet cleaner and drugs from the carpet cleaner. The volatile Briggs compliments Chris on his smuggling skills and sits in Camp's living room tasting the cocaine. Chris asks permission to go to the bathroom and sneaks into the garage, stealing the Captain's car and escaping before the police, alerted by the alarm, arrive. Camp awakens due to the noise and comes into the living room, startled to see Briggs and his men. The police arrest the Captain, Briggs, and his cohorts.Chris drives to Sebastian's construction site and brutally beats him up, demanding Kate's location. When Sebastian finally tells him that Chris us dead, he tries calling her cellphone and hears the ringtone in a building foundation where cement is being poured. He rescues her moments before she is buried alive in the foundation. Kate is hospitalized and Sebastian is imprisoned. He meets Chris' father Bud in prison where Sebastian tries to talk to him, but Bud merely nods at a group of inmates who surround Sebastian.Andy and the cargo ship crewman retrieve the counterfeit bills that Chris had dumped into the ocean to prevent Customs and Border Patrol from finding them. At a customs auction, Andy purchases the van that was used in the escape.Chris meets Church who offers him $2.5 million for the $10 million in counterfeit currency but Chris demands $3 million, which Church agrees to. Church asks Chris if he knows anything about the Jackson Pollack painting that was stolen in Panama. Church tells Chris that it's worth over $140 million or about $20 million on the black market.After Chris and Andy leave the meeting with Church, they open the van to find the painting, which was disregarded as a canvas painting tarp by the Customs and Border Patrol. Chris tells his buddies that the painting is worth at least $20 million.

Tags: revenge, suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence

Review:
This lends for some really angular storytelling that keeps the movie exciting and interesting.It's great to see Kate Beckinsdale in the movies again though she plays the wife whose main role is to look great and be in distress, a far cry from her iconic Underworld Selene or from her last movie Whiteout.On the whole it's a good action movie and if you liked Mark Wahlberg's previous movies like the Italian Job and Shooter, you will also like this..
Contraband is a well-made action film with strong acting, good directing, and great cinematography that draws you into New Orleans, Panama, and their freight ship.
However, Contraband manages to be a slightly better than your typical thriller.Mark Wahlberg gives a really good performance and Giovanni Ribisi did a really great job as the films over-the-top villain.
I also enjoyed how instead of being a straight out action flick, the film actually took time to develop what they had with the plot and show the whole set up of the heist.For most of it's nearly 2 hour runtime, Contraband kept me entertained for the most part.
I also didn't care for the way the film wrapped up.Overall, there really isn't a whole lot about to say about Contraband, but I would highly recommend it to someone who is looking for a good rental.
The fact that it brings family, friendship, love, hate, betrayal and the usual bad guy in the film may make it sound all ordinary as most of the films have almost the same characters these days, but the reason i would ask you guys to watch this film is because the touch it has unlike most of them out these days.I don't think timing is any bit of a problem in this movie and the way in which the scenes unfold is what i think keep you at the edge of your seat through the movie.
Even got spotty applause which is a rarity except for the most exceptional films.Great camera work gave exciting glimpses of the Panama Canal, the Canal Zone and the port of New Orleans.Contraband is a perfect portrayal of the gritty life of crime, and the amoral people who live it.
I love action flicks, dramas, suspense and anything that involves heists, drug stuff or any of that kind of gist as a movie fan I just love, so this was right up my ally all the way.
Chris works in installation of alarms and his father in locked in prison for smuggling.When his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) dumps in the sea water 10 pounds of cocaine that he is smuggling for the drug lord Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) to escape from the custom officers, Chris is forced to pay Andy's debts to protect the youngster and his own family.
Meanwhile Chris is betrayed and gets in trouble in Panama."Contraband" is a great action film with an engaging story that combines action, thriller and drama.
Contraband would be much more enjoyable were it the least plausible and make a little sense.As it is it really is a joke and the writers must either think we are IQ-free or they snorted way too much coke while writing the scenario.I won't go into details to avoid spoilers but I'm sure those who want to check will find everything in other critics and forum entries.It is still a perfectly watchable action movie thanks to a great cast (but please never use Kate Beckinsale's hairdresser ever again) if you really have 2 hours to loose but otherwise you absolutely can avoid watching it..
It might be okay for some people once and a while, but most people want something a little more filling and unpredictable.Let's look at the flaws...1.) Mark Wahlberg is fine, but we've seen him sleep walk his way through movies like this many times already.
I'd like to see him in something with a little more depth because my guess is he would handle it well.So if you are looking for a movie that will give you some good entertainment and a little more besides, just suspend your belief and enjoy Contraband..
CONTRABAND has its fun, slightly clever, action packed moments but the film's problem is that it's extremely generic and predictable..Just the set up of the story itself tells you that this is one movie that doesn't deserve high praises.
Mark Wahlberg's character is busy trying to smuggle something, all the while Kate Beckinsale is busy banged up and beat up again and again and still looks surprisingly beautiful and that does get old.As I said earlier, despite the film's flaws, Ben Foster and Giovani Ribisi manage to stand out and I think that's because those are two of Hollywood's most underrated actors who deserve better gigs.
ContrabandSmuggling drugs to another country by ingesting them on one side, and expelling them on the other, would be an ideal job for a bulimic.Unfortunately, for the smugglers in this thriller, no purger is immense enough to inhale $10 million.With a wife (Kate Beckinsale) and kids, ex-trafficker Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is now on the up and up.
But when his brother-in-law is indebted to a dealer (Giovanni Ribisi) after dumping his drugs into the drink, Chris returns to bootlegging to pay off the debt.But his plan to smuggle millions in counterfeit bills back from Panama aboard a cargo ship doesn't go as expected, and he's forced to partake in an armored carjacking.Convoluted and confusing, Contraband's constant conversion from gangland grit, to intense actioner, to screwball heist, is schizophrenic.Besides, the best way to import fake bills into another country is in the G-strings of exotic strippers.
A former smuggler(Mark Wahlberg) who has moved away from that life, he now runs his own security business, and also has a beautiful wife(Kate Beckinsale) and three great kids, life couldn't s be any better.
(Something tells me this won't do as well.) The movie wastes no time at all to pose Mark Wahlberg's protagonist as a world-class smuggler, because, you know, some guy said so, and then immediately deposits the viewer into the thick of it.
"It," in this case, turned out to be an incredibly predictable plot about Wahlberg's good-for-nothing brother-in-law botching a smuggling op, causing Marky-Mark to come out of retirement for one last job.
"I'll tell you that secret just as long as you promise to pretend we're on fake Earth where every blade of grass is a four-leaf clover, and 'luck' is a commodity traded on Wall Street." Contraband wears its plot holes proudly, which allows unlimited providence to shine through to all the actors trapped on the contracted side of the script.ne good thing about this film is that it is very supportive of those audience members with small bladders; you can safely walk out of the movie to relieve yourself and return without any confusion or loss of clarity.
and etc.Now that the obvious stuff is out of the way;It's tonnes of fun!The film was a bit 'too' by-the-numbers in the beginning I'll admit that but I got a "we're getting on really well and having a laugh making this" vibe from all of the actors which helped because there wasn't really any chemistry built between the characters so the fact that the actors themselves seemed to have it was a plus.About halfway through and then all the way to the end, the film kicks into gear and is seriously entertaining.Don't read the next two lines if you don't even like hints at what happens in films (it's not a spoiler but you might guess what I meant while watching the film):**At one point...I thought Hollywood had finally broken the mould and done something the audience didn't want to see...but no**I felt that what I mentioned above might have helped to make this unique from all the other "must save family by breaking the law" type films out there and give it some credibility (in a weird way..!)But the fact that this film has Ben Foster in it is enough anyway.Acting wise everyone does their usual stuff.
Now midway through this movie, I'll admit I was a little turned off by just how easy it was to foresee the near future, but some solid action scenes and particularly the heist scenes kept my interest peaked and ended up making me enjoy the film much more than I had anticipated I would.
I kept waiting for it move faster, but never did.I liked Wahlberg in "The Italian Job', but Contraband has a much weaker supporting cast and a poorer storyline.There are better heist, action movies to see than this one..
They not only DON'T look threatening, but they act that way as well.There comes only ONE moment where I felt "Hmm, wow, they actually did that?" concerning the death of a main character, but they even chicken out of that in a few minutes.Seriously, what exactly IS the point of this movie?
In this case, a former drug runner (Mark Wahlberg) now with a wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two children, and being forced to make a run to Panama in order to pay back a kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi) threatening to murder his family.
However because his brother in law dumped drugs on the side of a ship, he is forced to go to Panama with some of his crew to make amends.For some reason his best friend (Ben Foster) stays behind but he is not left to protect Wahlberg's family who surely are in the mercy of Ribisi, especially as Wahlberg earlier attacked him and pulled a gun on him.In fact things would had been more simpler but also shorter if Wahlberg had just shot Ribisi there and then.What we have is a convoluted and confusing smuggling story where they plan to smuggle fake bills.
But this film is fun, better than expected, and doesn't really relent on the action.This film is about a retired smuggler who is forced back into his old trade when he has to protect his brother-in-law because he failed to complete a job.Mark Wahlberg is a consistent action hero and while some people may not like him, he has a certain charisma that I have come to like.
"Contraband" stars Mark Wahlberg as a retired master smuggler who has to do one last job to save his dim-witted brother in-law after he messed up a job.This movie isn't great.
There are also some good performances in this movie (favourites being Mark Wahlberg and J.K. Simmons) which always helps.There are better action/heist movies out there, but this is a decent watch when there is nothing else on..
The story line is very simple and straight forward but if your a fan of action movies this is right up your alley.This movie is about an ex smuggler(Wahlberg) who has a brother in law that got mixed up with some drug dealers.
When Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) loses a shipment of drugs due to a surprise boat patrol, his brother-in-law and currently reformed contraband specialist Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) must pull off his last run in order to save his life from the brutal crime boss Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi).
Contraband had three things going for it: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, and a general look of "fun." I figured the combination of a quality leading action actor, an exceptionally attractive lead actress, and a heist-related, energetic plot would make Contraband a "decent enough" flick.
This film is no exception as there are several moments that stand out as respectable action movie sequences which are lost in a sea of bad plot points and slow pacing.
The action scenes exciting, the cast more than decent and a pretty great ending, again not sure exactly how "that" all worked out but it was fun.There isn't anything particularly stand out here though, and this is one of those "almost" movies that just falls short.
The cast is excellent, Mark Wahlberg is doing one of his standard roles -tough family guy but Ben Foster, Diego Luna, Giovanni Ribi play some great characters and really sink their teeth in.
J.K. Simmons, Kate Beckinsale, & Lukas Haas also impressed.The story follows Chris Farraday as a former smuggler who after going legit and settling into a stable life with his wife and sons finds himself back in the game when his brother in law botches a deal with a ruthless drug lord.
The cast is quite strong with the always decent Mark Wahlberg leading the way, and with the likes of Ben Foster, Kate Beckinsale, J.K Simmons and show stealer Giovanni Ribisi all forming a respectable package.
The one thing I can't stand about these type of movies, and it is very evident here, is how the criminal comes close to getting caught so many times, but always has a genies plan to get away with the crime.Here, Chris, is an ex smuggler whom must get back in the game to save his brother-in-law from a gangster that he owes drugs.
Former contraband smuggler turned legit family man, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) finds himself back in the game after his brother-in-law gets in over his head with mobster Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi).
Contraband is an engaging crime-thriller, the strong cast delivers intense performances, Mark Wahlberg was in full control and was as intense in action scenes as he was in the dramatic ones, Giovanni ribisi is a delight to watch and steals every scene he is in, Ben Foster as always gives a incredible performance, even though Kate Beckinsale gives a strong performance she is wasted, considering that it is not a very key role and could have been done by someone else.As far as the direction goes Baltasar has executed the movie very well.
Something like this is more geared by the action though, which is assuringly well done, slick and stylish and delivering the goods.Cast wise, Whalberg walks in his sleep in the lead role, never an actor to stretch himself and knowing what he's suited to, whilst Ribisi is correspondingly mean and sinister as the villain, whilst support from the likes of Beckinsale and Lukas Haas keeps the ball rolling.Contraband offers nothing new from any of the other current stew of modern day actioners, a stylish, dark, brutal, no holds barred tale that pulls no punches and offers nothing new, but does all this with enough style and flair to be worth your time.
I like all of Mark Wahlberg's films and although he can be kind of corny at times this movie was not one of his best.
After Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) the current boss of the local gang puts pressure on Andy to come up with the money, Chris has to go back to his old ways for the sake of the family to do one last job.Mark Wahlberg and Ben Foster goes over their roles robotically while Giovanni Ribisi just changed his appearance a bit while rolling away his trademark accent and voice diction.
There are very few surprises in 'Contraband', the highly formulaic and forgettably entertaining action thriller from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur, opening in Doha this week.Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is living the good life: leaving behind a career of drugs, car and currency smuggling, he has decided to go straight, set up his own business and settle down with his beautiful wife Kate (Kate Beckinsale) and their two boys.
Unfortunately for the Farradays, Kate's kid brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) has got himself into a spot of bother during a botched smuggling job, and Andy has to replace the lost bounty or else drugs baron Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) will start going after his family.
From the mustachioed crime lord (Diego Luna) to the gun happy local police force, everything that happens south of the Panama Canal is enjoyable fun, if you're a fan of the genre, but will feel tired and derivative to audiences hoping for a bit more than action/thriller fluff.The best scenes that the film has to offer occur between the fantastic supporting cast assembled around Wahlberg, most of whom stay back in the US.
Kate Beckinsale is underused in my book, but I'm still happy every time I see her (saw her in the Total Recall trailer).The movie has enough action but also quite a few flaws (like a character beat where Mark Wahlberg is encouraging and giving out the wrong signals to another character), but if you enjoy light thriller fun/action, you will have a good time with this.
The rest of the cast includes Kate Beckinsale as Wahlberg's wife, Ben Foster as his best friend, and Giovanni Ribisi in a terrific performance as the ruthless drug lord.
Contraband (2012)** (out of 4) After his brother-in-law messed up a drug deal and has the pusher threaten his life, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) decides to do one more smuggle job to pay off the debt but soon he begins to realize the his best friend (Ben Foster) might have betrayed him.
You certainly don't feel sorry for the brother-in-law and by the time the film was over I grew rather frustrated with the actions of Wahlberg's character as well as his wife played by Kate Beckinsale.
Not bad for Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale,good suspense movie with good acting from almost all of the cast.
Contraband is an action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg (Chris Farraday), playing a former drug smuggler who's gone straight, having settled down with his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and kids and opened his own home security company.
I quite like Mark Wahlberg and wanted to watch this film despite the so- so reviews it had received.
Contraband, as a result, is a sturdy thriller worth watching one time.Mark Wahlberg is amazing as always but I am disappointed with Kate Beckinsale.
6. Contraband is an action thriller, a former smuggler has to back into business for his brother in law to save him and his family from drug lord.
All cast is above average for a movie of that kind - Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster, Lukas Haas...