The Contractor (2007) (V)

Director:

Josef Rusnak

Writers (WGA):

Robert Foster (screenplay) and
Joshua Michael Stern (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 July 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The world's greatest marksman is now a marked man...

Plot:

An ex-CIA agent is asked to take out a terrorist, only to realize he's been set up by his former employer.

Plot Keywords:

Framed | Marksman | London England | Shot In The Head | Airport

Cast

Wesley Snipes	...	James Dial
Eliza Bennett	...	Emily Day
Lena Headey	...	DI Annette Ballard
Ralph Brown	...	Jeremy Collins
Charles Dance	...	DCS Andrew Windsor
Gemma Jones	...	Mrs. Day
Iain Robertson	...	Cramston
Richard Harrington	...	Terry Mitchell
Ryan McCluskey	...	Purcell
John Standing	...	Sir Anthony
Stanimir Stamatov	...	King
Milos Miroslav	...	Harris (as Miroslav Emilov)
Velizar Binev	...	Beloit
Nikolai Sotirov	...	Ali Mahmud Jahar (as Nikolay Sotirov)
Peter Kerry Morgan	...	Newscaster

Also Known As:

The Shooter (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

UK:105 min

Country:

Bulgaria | UK | USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:PG | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Bulgaria

Company:

April Productions

Trivia:

Michael Biehn was scheduled to appear in this movie but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with Planet Terror (2007).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The scene is the scene where Emily is entering the main railway station. It reveals Cardiff Central Station even though it set in London.

Movie Connections:

References The Mistress of Spices (2005)

Soundtrack:

Holding Out For More

The one thing is you won't hope it's contract runs out before Snipes's one with Sony does

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

James Dial (Wesley Snipes) is hiding out on his ranch in Montana after failing to capture a notorious terrorist. Then he's approached by the agency again to travel to London to have another go. His target has been apprehended there and is under heavy police protection- but they don't want him merely to capture their man- they want him taken out. All goes well but then the mission gets botched and when a senior police chief, Windsor (Charles Dance) is killed, the blame falls at Dial's feet. Hunted like an animal, he takes refuge in a nearby house and befriends a young girl named Emily (Eliza Bennett) who's dealing with issues of her own and becomes his unwitting sidekick as he goes about clearing his name and working out who betrayed him.

This latest Snipes straight to DVD escapade came out of nowhere, with a minimal of publicity even for something so small time (I don't recall seeing any advertisements or trailers for it anywhere.) With this in mind and after Snipes's history of duff DVD efforts, this might have seemed like one which Snoop Dawg would tell you to drop like it's hot. But I felt compelled to give it a go anyway. It doesn't rank among his worst, but it doesn't reach any higher than the standards of some of his better ones (The Detonator, 7 Seconds, says it all, really), either.

This is, at best, mildly suspenseful, with a minimal of action, naff all in the way of cool dialogue and Snipes not exactly at his best in the lead role. Likewise, in a main supporting role, it's quite clear Dance has only showed up for the pay cheque as well and this is generally one that none of the cast are going to shout for the hills about on any of their CVs.

It says a lot that by the end the only 'contract' that's keeping you interested is when Snipes's will end with Sony and with it an end to any further sub par EL DVD action films. **