Stepping up a gear after their sedate, Oscar-winning collaboration on Driving Miss Daisy, Freeman and director Beresford try off-roading for thrills but plough straight into a forest of mediocrity.
The ever-genial Freeman fails to convince from the outset as Frank Cardin, a government-trained assassin turned ruthless freelancer.
Frank leads a supposedly highly-trained team of mercenaries who spend most of their time bickering – mostly because they don’t like the cocky new guy (Corey Johnson). Problems with him, do you think...?
While setting up their latest hit in Washington state, an accident sees Frank taken into FBI custody. His crew orchestrate a cunning escape plan. Unfortunately, this merely pitches Frank off a mountain road and into a river. Do not get into a car with this man.
Lucky for Frank - but not the dying Fed he’s cuffed to - widowed sports coach Ray Keane (Cusack) is out in the woods, bonding with his sulky teenage son (newcomer Jamie Anderson). Nothing if not foolhardy, Ray decides to take Frank in.
Thus ensues a modern-day take on 3:10 To Yuma wherein wily old Frank gets under the skin of his captors while the law authorities race against his cronies to get to them first.
Action is not Beresford’s strong suit, his mechanical direction creating little by way of suspense or urgency. Rescuers, hunters and hunted all traipse along at whatever unlikely pace the plot dictates to reach each underwhelming incident. So much for the thrill of the chase.
There is an amusing subplot involving Alice Krige’s shady government official and her FBI boys going all out to patronise the local cops, but that and a tiddly red herring towards the end is not enough to make up for the lack of inspiration elsewhere.
Freeman does at least try but Cusack’s totally apathetic performance doesn’t even reach the level of perfunctory. No surprise, then, that this forgettable sub-actioner never saw the inside of a UK cinema.
Some may feel honour-bound to see it through, but The Contract is far from binding.
Elliott Noble
