Philip French 

Contraband – review

This remake of an Icelandic thriller from the producers of Tinker Tailor is conventional but exciting enough, writes Philip French
  
  

Contraband
Mark Wahlberg in Contraband. Photograph: PR

The highly efficient British production team of Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have followed up their excellent new version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a remake of the lesser-known Icelandic thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam. This convoluted smuggling yarn now involves the transporting of counterfeit dollars, cocaine and a valuable Jackson Pollock painting from Panama to New Orleans and stars Mark Wahlberg as a reformed smuggler who takes on the job to save his pathetic brother-in-law from the revenge of the mob. Giovanni Ribisi is the snivelling head of the crooks, and the dependable J K Simmons steals almost every scene he's in as the captain of the container ship carrying the contraband. Conventional, fairly exciting stuff, its most distinctive feature perhaps is the realistic, atmospheric photography by Ken Loach's regular collaborator, Barry Ackroyd.

 

Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked *

*

*