The Contractor
Reuniting with hisHell or High Waterco - star Ben Foster , Chris Pine leads a unanimous action thriller about the shadowy underbelly of serving one ’s country . The Contractoraims to secern the tale of one adult male ’s desperate attempts to do right on by his sept after being failed by the ill-chosen institutions that purportedly lookout for veterans . Just asHell or High Waterwas a searing smell at the governmental and institutional failure that head people to desperate cadence , The Contractorprovides a interchangeable fib that shines a glaring luminosity on the un - loyal nature of military service . However , while this film touts the lede ofHell or High Water , it does n’t come in close to being as well - run and is not as generous with its character growing .
The Contractor , previously calledViolence of Action , is — on paper — a Liam Neeson film . The title is even evocative of the recent chain of action thrillers Neeson has starred in , where he plays a man with a special set of accomplishment who has been wrong and is out for blood . However , Pine is a damn beneficial lead world who provides his rather lazily draw case depth and refinement . Much has been say about the man ’s dazzle blue eyes , but there is a great deal of talent there that yield us a deeper understanding of his fictitious character ’s ruth .
Related : The Contractor Trailer Sees Chris Pine On The Run From Shadowy Forces
The Contractorfollows James ( Pine ) , a aesculapian sergeant who , after many exploit to be deploy again after a knee injury , is dishonorably discharged . With minuscule workplace to be found and a pile of bills , he turn to his army chum , Mike ( Foster ) , for help . Mike introduces James to a ignominious ops team that specializes in super shady process that are purportedly sanctioned by the Chief Executive himself . This federation of tribes of vets form a unit that accomplish a number of missions that range from recon to character assassination of suspected terrorist . Of course , any discerning viewer can see that this is not good body of work , but James train the sweetener . The pic , in many ways , is the antithesis of the likes ofZero Dark Thirtyor13 Hours . This is not a pro - military piece of artistic production , which is realise from the open up setting as viewers see the non-white demarcation of what is said about those who serve vs. how they are treated — as spendable weapons that are only good for killing and not much else .
Tarik Saleh ’s directing is precise and fell , but there is little flair on display to dig the electronic messaging of J.P. Davis ’ playscript . There is very little to enjoy overall — rather , the experience is a abdomen - twist one . The Contractoris a white - knuckled drive that only get more and more dizzyingly cheerless as it carries on . All the pieces are there for a profoundly poignant tale of the catastrophe of being a soldier , a weapon for a powerful governance . However , as the photographic film nears its last , all one feels is exhaustion and very little fellow feeling for our champion . The emotionally fraught third act , which holds a conniption where Pine is capital - A acting , feels long delayed .
It is no surprisal that this book caught the oculus of Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee , the former being a producer onSicarioandThe Town . The Contractordoes have a pointed message about what it means to serve one ’s country , specifically the United States . There is also a level regarding James ’ traumatic nurture with a pro - military father who opt to be a patriot over fulfilling the needs of his son . How the film falls apart is hard to discern , but it is worth observe that the inner struggle within James is only partially presented . Pine does a not bad deal of heavy lifting to carry the loading of giving a evocative and emotive performance that fills in the gaps in the playscript .
The Contractoris a dissatisfying picture that is captivate between two missions . Mission one : tell an open and honest chronicle of the horrors of military service , individual contracting , and the dehumanization of soldier during and after active table service . foreign mission two : be a standard action at law - thriller about a military man who has been wrong . There is a way to bridge these two chemical element together to have a thought - provoking motion picture that also satisfies one ’s insatiate hunger for watching a badass picture , butThe Contractorfails to do so . Despite Chris Pine ’s best efforts , the film die to reach his level of commitment and excited resonance .
NEXT : Black Crab : Noomi Rapace Drama Is One Of The Year ’s Best Actioners So Far
The Contractoropened in theaters , on digital and on demand Friday , April 1 . The movie is 103 minutes prospicient and is rated gas constant for violence and language .
Gillian Jacobs and Chris Pine in The Contractor
Nicolas Noblitt, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster in The Contractor
