When it comes to selecting a movie to watch, my personal motto has always been “it's hard to go wrong watching a movie starring Morgan Freeman.” The award-winning actor consistently proves my theory with each movie he appears in.
The 1996 movie, The Contract, starring Freeman and John Cusack, is one of my favourite movies. Hired assassin's rarely come away looking like a good guy, however, Freeman's portrayal of Mercenary assassin Frank Cardin is a stark contrast to the “shoot and kill” assassin mentality typically seen in Hollywood movies. By the end of the movie Freeman's character almost pulls off a squeaky-clean get away.
The movie begins in New York City where hired assassin Frank Cardin, played by Morgan Freeman, has assembled four fellow mercenaries to finalize plans for a contract hit.
New York's busy city streets are soon replaced with the country landscape in Cedar Pines, Washington where widower and former cop turned gym teacher Ray Keene, played by Cusack, is facing some tough personal issues with his teenage son Chris, played by Jamie Anderson.
When Cardin and his team of assassins arrive in Cedar Pines their meticulously planned mission takes a wrong turn causing a mini pile up sending Cardin off in an ambulance to the hospital where his less than sparkling reputation as a good guy is soon discovered and he is arrested by Deputy Montgomery, played by Ned Ballamy.
While being escorted back to the East Coast by US Marshals, Cardin's accomplices set up a roadblock with the intention to free Cardin. Unfortunately, things backfire once again and the car, with Cardin and one US Marshal inside, goes over a cliff and plummets into a river below.
While trekking through the forest on a weekend camping trip, Ray Keene and his son, Chris, stumble upon the crash site and set out to rescue Cardin and the US Marshal. Having been shot during an underwater struggle with Cardin and near death, the US Marshal instructs Keene to take his gun and deliver Cardin to the local authorities. The former cop, with the help of his son, set off through the forest trying to outwit Cardin's military trained band of assassins along the way.
The movie, directed by Bruce Beresford, is filled with several twists, which keep the audience entertained and constantly guessing about the final outcome. Mostly an action thriller movie, the story does have some subtle comedic moments that bring out characteristics not normally associated with assassins. The unexpected ending will have you cheering for bad guy Frank Cardin. Only Morgan Freeman could deliver such a performance where you end up liking both the bad and good guys.
