Directed By Tarik Saleh

Starring – Chris Pine, Gillian Jacobs, Kiefer Sutherland

The Plot – After being involuntarily discharged from the U.S. Special Forces, James Harper (Pine) decides to support his family by joining a private contracting organization alongside his best friend (Ben Foster) and under the command of a fellow veteran (Sutherland). Overseas on a covert mission, Harper must evade those trying to kill him while making his way back home.

Rated R for violence and adult language

THE CONTRACTOR | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies – YouTube

POSITIVES

First and foremost, this is a “Hell of High Water” reunion for Pine and Foster, whose picture-perfect chemistry helps each of them to elevate the other to another dramatic level, while cementing two turns that couldn’t be more properly defined than by the term polar opposites. For Pine, it’s further validation that he can do the action genre as good as anyone, this time embodying an anti-hero whose moral ambiguity and unflinching determination exudes a protagonist that is every bit menacing as he is compelling or the air of ambiguity that precedes his character. This is the same for Foster, who not only once again talks his way out of a paper bag with enough on-screen charisma and unfiltered honesty, but also feels richly authentic in the demeanor of a veteran officer that he effortlessly solidifies in his third film embodying such. The story that centers around their dynamic is honestly one that is heavily flawed, but the lone thing I found alluring within its depth is the contemporary similarities in a particular subplot that feels pecked, whether intentional or not, from an age of civilization that is currently battling a pandemic of its own. The social commentary pertaining to this never felt obvious or pandering in a way that hinders the script’s creativity, but it does cohesively match the naturalistic approach of the film’s practical fight choreography, vividly obscuring the line of fictional emphasis with mirroring relevance that audiences will undoubtedly pick up on. Beyond this, the script also prescribes an awareness for our struggling veterans that takes grave responsibility outlining the tragedy in various examples that supplants with it some thoroughly endearing social commentary. It’s the overwhelming tragedy of the narrative, but one that drives it with fully realized motivation serving as the unfortunate hand that drives James to accept the first dangerous job that comes his way, but also one that proves we have a long way to go before reaching an ideal reality for our bravest heroes. Finally, the technical elements also spring with them a flourishing influence, in particular the rupturing musical score from Alex Belcher, and the the three-dimensional psychology of the movie’s many editing schemes. On the latter, the intentionally disjointed emphasis helps to convey authenticity in the mentality of a frazzled veteran, and the visual cues to a younger, simpler time in James’ life stitch together seamlessly with the developing dynamic of the foreground of the narrative that are mentally conveying his best days are well behind him. Sentimental? Sure, symbolic? Absolutely, Meandering? surprisingly not at all. It’s the film’s lone example of exemplary production value, gifting the storytelling an immersive depiction for James that not only helps to attain meaning in the depth of his cryptic actions, but also gives this conventional plot a range of creative ambition that nearly saves it.

NEGATIVES

That saving grace, however, goes unfulfilled, as the attempt of this film to succeed with a barrage of problems is what ultimately condemns it to a sluggishly boring experience. This unflattering aspect comes as a result of the elementary screenplay and pacing of the storytelling, which are so muddled in conventionalism and predictability from predecessors of the genre that it leaves little to nothing left to be dazzled with or rewarded for the 97-minute investment. That aforementioned predictability doubles down on the script’s few twists that it tries to cleverly insert along the way, but instead are easily detectable from a mile away when you consider the familiarity of the ensemble and what part each of them will inevitably play by the climax. This is especially troubling since the film is marketed and classified as an action thriller, a term it doesn’t even remotely earn nor elevate with action sequences that are practically non-existent by their diminishing impact. Part of the problem is certainly the lack of set pieces keeping Saleh from ever channeling his own enthralling inspiration, but the bigger problem I feel stems from the law of averages for such, which in a 97-minute film only bring forth three action sequences, the entirety of such in simple hand-to-hand combat. As previously indicated, I appreciated that so much of the choreography and gravity bless a grounded and realistic approach, but the continuously rushed consistency of their execution never supplies enough time to properly invest in the urgency or vulnerability of their many dynamics, instead undercutting and underwhelming the single most important aspects of any action installment, the action. This is made all the more apparent with the film’s closing moments, which not only summarize the disappointment of expectations, but also resolve matters with one of the more brief and forgettable resolutions to a film this year. A mumbling whisper instead of a consequential bang.

OVERALL

“The Contractor” is too derived from previous, better efforts of the genre to ever attain prominence on its own, nor elude the obvious predictability that ultimately defines the experience. Though the performances and corresponding social commentary help to somewhat shield the devastation from opposing forces, the lack of compelling action and unceremoniously flat twists dilute its creative waters to shallow surroundings, expiring this contract on site.

My Grade: 5/10 or D+