The Contract (DVD)

Story First we are introduced to a criminal group - ex-military, now assassins, with one new member, preparing for their next mission. They kill a very wealthy man - son of a billionaire and the next victim in their plan. The motive of the killing is connected to the opposition of stem cell research, but little is really mentioned on this as the killers are contract killers so purely doing it for the money. The client is not, to my memory, mentioned. Cardin, the leader of the group then finds himself in a nasty car accident and awakens in hospital handcuffed to the bed. Suddenly the group's plans are at stake. The newcomer seems reluctant to continue, but the ...  Read the complete review

After losing his wife to cancer two years ago, Ray Keene's (John Cusack) relationship with his teenage son Chris as his behaviour becomes increasingly off the rails. To mend this shattered relationship, Ray decides to take Chris on a camping trip, somewhere the two of them can bond once again. Chris reluctantly agrees and the two set off into the woods together. Meanwhile, a million miles away metaphorically but right on their door step in reality is Frank Carden (Morgan Freeman). Frank is a professional assassin who, by chance was caught by the police after a freak car accident and taken into the US Marshals custody. While being escorted by US Marshals, ...  Read the complete review

Despite starring two of the biggest names in Hollywood this 2006 movie went under the radar after its release and after watching it I realised why - it's rubbish! 'The Contract' stars John Cusack as Ray Keene, a strict gym coach whose wife has died of cancer. In an attempt to emotionally connect with his rebellious teenage son, Chris, Ray takes the moody kid out to the big ole woods of Washington State to indulge in a bit of manly hiking and camping. Meanwhile, the regal Morgan Freeman as captured criminal Frank Cordell is helped to be busted out of a cop car on his way to be charged with all sorts of nasty offences. His posse of trained assassin ...  Read the complete review

Ray Keene has decided he needs some bonding time with his rebellious teenage son, son his wife and the kid mother dies of cancer. They trek out to the woods and attempt to get over the hurdles they are facing as father and son. However their cosy party is gate-crashed when convict Frank Carden joins their duo. Having just escaped from the police who were transporting him to the courts, Frank is waiting for his possee of mental killers to come and find him and therefore gets a bit fed up when Ray decides to be the good moral citizen and take Frank back in to the police. Only trouble is, they have to get through the wild woods together ...  Read the complete review

It's not often that a film with big names slips past my radar, but The Contract is certainly one that went unnoticed by me. Released in 2006, the film was a bit of a flop, despite having Morgan Freeman and John Cusack as its top billing stars. So, why wasn't it a success? And was it unfairly a disappointment, but really a hidden gem? Well, I can certainly eradicate this second question: it's not a gem. The film starts off with a few scenes to explain to us that ex-cop Ray Keene has recently lost his wife to cancer. Struggling to cope with the loss is their teenage son, Chris, getting into trouble with the law. Elsewhere, contractor Carden is ...  Read the complete review