CONTRABAND

US, 2012, 109 minutes, Colour.
Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons, David O’ Hara.
Directed by Baltasar Kormakur.

Gritty is one of the words that a reviewer might grope for while watching Contraband. The story is gritty. The characters are gritty – and not easy to sympathise with. Most of them have had difficult lives, and where we catch up with them life is certainly not any easier.

The setting is New Orleans, especially the waterfront (and without the tourist glamour). Much of the action is at sea. There is a visit to Panama City (which looks quite up-to-date).

Most of the characters are involved in contraband, one way or another. A young man gets himself and his friend into trouble by dropping smuggled drugs into the sea when they are pursued by the authorities. Their dealer (Giovanni Ribisi at his most repellent) not only wants compensation, he uses the incident to force the older brother of the rash young man to resume what he used to do before he married and had a family. This is not only dangerous in terms of contraband and detection, but there are, of course, shady characters, violent characters, whose actions are unpredictable except for their nastiness. Gritty.
1. An American crime story? Smuggling? Criminals? Officials?

2. A remake of an Icelandic film? The tougher tone given to an American story? Gritty?

3. The New Orleans settings, the homes, the waterfront? Ordinary and working life in New Orleans? The contrast with Panama – the waterfront, the modern city? The musical score?

4. The title, what’s smuggled, and the work of the smugglers? The world of the smugglers?

5. The world of crime, the ability to change or not, reform, people caught in this world? The connections, the dealers, the bosses, ship captains? The possibility of escape or not?

6. The moral perspective of the film, criminal types, violence? Greed? Smuggling and profit, getting away with the money at the end?

7. The situation, Andy and his friend, dumping the drugs in the sea to avoid the authorities? Tim Briggs, his personality, his hold over Andy? The demand for payback? His character and threats? His going to Kate and confronting her?

8. Chris, his past life, smuggling? His experience, relationship with his brother? His friendship with Sebastian? His wide range of friends? His change of life, married to Kate, the two boys, domestic life? His wanting to keep it? Hardship for Andy, his decision, rounding up his crew, the bonds between them? On the ship, the captain, the deals? The activity on the ship, evading detection? Panama, the counterfeit cash, his tough stance? Gonzalo and his violence? The fights?

9. The tough personalities, the team, their work on the ship, the effect?

10. Kate, tough wife, confronting Tim Briggs? The friendship with Sebastian, his turning violent on her, his burying her in the cement?

11. The captain, seemingly respectable? The ship veering to the wharf? His manner of dealing with the smugglers? Crooked? The authorities?

12. The timing, the money overboard?

13. Chris and his phone contact, trying to locate Kate, going to the building site, Sebastian and his desperation, urging the work, the cement being poured where Kate was buried?

14. Sebastian, the false friend, his deals, unscrupulous, cruel, his death? Chris and his pulling Kate to safety?

15. The recovery of the money, Danny and his friend? Their glee?

16. The ending of such a crime story – crime paying or not?