THE CONTRACT
US, 2006, 92 minutes, Colour.
Morgan Freeman, John Cusack, Jamie Anderson, Alice Krige, Megan Dodds, Jonathan Hyde, Bill Smitrovitch.
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
The Contract is an average thriller, filmed in beautiful surroundings in Washington State and its mountains.
The film focuses on Morgan Freeman, this time as the villain. However, with his screen presence, articulate speech and gravity, it is hard to take him seriously as a villain. However, he brings his qualities with sinister edge to this role. John Cusack is a widower, trying to bond with his teenage son who is resentful, experimenting with drugs. They go on a bonding trip into the mountains, only to connect with Freeman on the run from the police. Alice Krige is a sinister FBI agent. Jonathan Hyde is also sinister as the leader of the group who go to find Freeman in the mountains. He leads a ruthless group.
The film is interesting in itself, however, it could have been much more interesting and tense. The strength is in Morgan Freeman’s presence, the conspiracy background, the beautiful scenery.
The film was directed by Bruce Beresford who began filming almost forty years earlier with The Adventures of Barry McKenzie?. With successes in Australia including The Getting of Wisdom, Don’s Party and Breaker Morant, Beresford went to the United States where he directed a number of very interesting films including Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy. However, his career has ups and downs in the material that he takes on – especially some of his thrillers like Silent Fall. However, he made the very interesting And Now For Pancho Villa As Himself.
1.The impact of the film? Colourful thriller? Conspiracy theory thriller?
2.The opening in New York, the rooms? The transition to Washington State, the countryside, the mountains, the waterfalls, caves? The finale in Washington DC? Authentic atmosphere? Atmospheric score?
3.The title, Frank Carden and his gathering the group, their being his squad, his background and being trained by the army, an exterminator? His going into private practice? Not questioning where his contracts came from? The new member of the group? Their flying to Washington? The murder of the young man with the hit-run on the street? The target being his father? The FBI and others thinking that the president during his visit was the target? Ray and his realisation of what the truth was, confronting Carden? Seeming to prevent the contract being carried out? The irony of his hearing later of the death of the target? Carden and his comments about always keeping his contracts?
4.Frank Carden, Morgan Freeman’s screen presence, style of speaking, dominance? With the rest of the group, their loyalty, Davis and his being new and questioning? In Washington, the death of the young man after their confronting him with damaging photos? The accident and Carden going to hospital, his getting out? The group going after him to save him? With the police, the roadblock, the car crashing down the mountainside, Carden with the deputy? In the river, the deputy’s death? Carden getting away, handcuffed? The chance encounter with Ray and his son? The gun, Ray and his taking Carden, leading him? Chris seeing the group kill the truck driver? Going into the mountains, Carden and his keeping up, immaculately dressed, immaculately spoken? The dangers, climbing down the cliff, his saving Chris? In the cave? The food? Continuing the journey, encountering Sandra and her boyfriend, taking them along, going over the Murrain and the bridge? Finding the farm? Turner and the others arriving, Carden and his attempts to escape? Davis trying to shoot him? The shootout, his taking Chris as a hostage? His going to the funeral, aiming at the target? Ray disrupting him? Davis trying to kill him? His killing Davis? Giving Ray the information about where Chris was? In Washington, his threatening the FBI agent that nothing was to happen to Ray and his son? His completion of the contract?
5.Ray, former policeman, his wife’s death from cancer, the tension with his son? As a coach? Reprimanding his son, offering him the trip, their going into the mountains? Chris and his age, experimental smoking, rebelliousness, grief at his mother’s death? Their going into the mountains? Chris and his local knowledge? The encounter with Carden, the gun, Chris seeing the trucker being shot? Leading the way, going down the cliff face, his slipping, Carden saving him? Ray and his agreeing with his son? Digging his heels in and determined to take Carden in? The pursuit, across the Murrain, dismantling it? The young man being shot? Going to the farm, his decision to let Carden go free? His son being abducted? Going back, the television, realising who the target was, going to the cemetery, the confrontation with Carden, getting his son back? Hearing the news of the contract being completed? The image of father and son, talking, the experience shared, bonding?
6.Sandra and her boyfriend, not a happy couple, camping, trying to reconcile? Their having to go with Ray? The young man being shot? Sandra, her finally shooting the attackers? Her presence at the barbeque at the end?
7.Gwen Miles, the FBI, targeting victims for the government? The target for the contract? His opposing stem cell research? Her urging Davis by phone to kill Carden? Davis, cantankerous, seeming to want the money, contract killer, orders from Gwen? Tracking Carden, the attempts to kill him, at the cemetery, his own death?
8.Turner and the other members of the group, playing chess on the computer? Having the technical know-how? The expertise, snipers, trackers, helicopter pilots? Their being outwitted? The helicopter, the shooting, the crash? The confrontation at the cottage?
9.The chief of police, his deputy? Considered hicks? Their doing their job, getting the coffee for the FBI, still keeping in contact with the helicopter? On television at the end?
10.The background of conspiracies, government, agencies targeting victims? The role of the FBI? The local police?
11.Popular ingredients for this kind of conspiracy and tracking thriller?
