A discharged U.S. Special Forces sergeant, James Harper, risks everything for his family when he joins a private contracting organization.
Chuck says:
A taut, smart thriller that plays against expectations, Tarik Saleh’s “The Contractor” is an intriguing actioner that elevates itself above other genre entries with its insightful look at the plight of displaced soldiers as well as a solid performance from its lead actor. As scripted by J.P. Davis, the film has more on its mind than blowing up stuff real good. No, the plight of displaced veterans is at the center of the mayhem that ensues. The collective portrait of directionless men who’ve been trained to kill and solve any problem that comes their way, suddenly dropped into a rote suburban lifestyle, is the driving force behind this unusually smart genre entry, one that ultimately proves poignant and powerful.
Chris Pine, bringing a coiled intensity to the role, is James Harper, a former special forces officer who’s drummed out of the service for failing a drug test, unable to shake the pain meds he takes for a nagging injury. He tries to slip into the role of dutiful dad and reliable husband, but its an uncomfortable fit. And with bills piling up and his sense of self-worth plummeting, Harper does something he’s promised his wife (Gillian Jacobs) he’d never do.
He contacts Mike (Ben Foster), a fellow combat veteran who hooks him up with his employer Jennings (Kiefer Sutherland). He runs a private security firm and solves national security issues under the table. He describes the jobs they undertake as “scalpel work,” quiet, precise, no-fuss operations that come with a hefty payday. Harper signs on for one such mission and is promptly sent to Berlin. The target is a Syrian scientist with connections to Al Qaida who’s developing a chemical weapon of mass destruction. At least, that’s what Harper is told.
There wouldn’t be a movie if things didn’t go sideways and they do just that.
The action scenes are convincing and exciting but what makes the film memorable are the moral grey areas it examines. Having been abandoned by his country, Harper puts on blinders, justifying his actions as simply “taking care of my family,” not thinking of the larger ramifications of what he’s undertaken. Equally troubling are the flashbacks we see of him as a boy, interacting with his father, a gung-ho Marine who damaged him at a young age, instilling in him a sense of unquestioning patriotism and duty. Though Harper recognizes the harm that’s been done, he’s still unable to control the person he’s become.
The film’s most bracing moment occurs when our hero confronts a group of men who’ve been assigned to bring him in, only to realize that they too are American veterans, working for a competing private security firm. These lost men have become pawns in the private sector, victimized by those in need of their unique skill set yet have little regard for their personal well-being.
The action scenes Saleh provides, though well-done, may not come as frequently as fans of the genre may like. However, the director has more pressing concerns to focus on, making the violence that does occur all the more meaningful. The deaths that occur are not anonymous and inconsequential as in most action films. By focusing on the personal and emotional cost our men of war pay, there’s an uncommon narrative weight to “The Contractor” that demands it be seen.
3 1/2 Stars
