Beresford, who directed Freeman to a well-deserved Oscar nomination in Driving Miss Daisy, has always been able to craft films with a palpable feeling for time and place. Such "intimate epics" as Breaker Morant show Beresford's unique style, providing enough cultural and even geographical context in which to understand the characters, while focusing on the characters themselves, quite often to stupendous results. Beresford at least has the geographical part down pat in this film, which is filled with beautiful Bulgarian vistas subbing for the Pacific Northwest. Where he's let down immeasurably is with the trite (beyond trite at points) screenplay, which has various characters doing stupid things for no other reason than that is putatively moves the plot along another notch or two.

What's especially distressing about The Contract is that it starts off so strongly, and even has intermittently compelling sequences even after things begin to fall off a cliff (literally I should add, though I won't totally post any spoilers here). Beresford handles the introduction of all the characters exceedingly well, perfectly playing off the audience's expectations that Freeman usually is the "good guy," so that when a hit is enforced in an incredibly graphic manner, it leaves you momentarily breathless. The first scenes between Cusack and his son (the occasionally annoying Jamie Anderson) are also fairly well handled, if not quite as visceral as the Freeman segments. And when a twist or two is revealed after the trio finds themselves lost in the forest, with Freeman's ex-military co-horts giving chase, even that is relatively surprising (at least in the context of an otherwise by the numbers screenplay).

When you hear Cusack asking Anderson "Are you sure we don't need that map?," it's one of those 'throw the shoe through the television' moments, not only because you know it portends ridiculous consequences down the path (so to speak), but that the same plot element could have been handled much more artfully. Why not have them bring a map and then lose it when they're attempting to scale a cliff, for instance? The film also tries to develop a sort of mutual Stockholm Syndrome between Cusack and Freeman at least (Anderson is there mostly to get in harm's way, unfortunately), with each of them reaching a sort of uneasy alliance as they forge through the wilderness. It's all been seen before, and usually in a better handled way. With bickering villains (including one who's not all he seems, of course) bringing up the rear, you know you're in for a climactic showdown, which happens in a ridiculously over the top sequence involving a helicopter (again somewhat reminiscent of the much superior Cliffhanger).

What saves The Contract from being a total waste is Beresford's total control of his directorial environment. Unusual angles and some sweeping crane and tracking shots keep the film visually engaging even while the screenplay stutters and slobbers all over itself. Freeman is his usual understated and elegant self, playing well against type, and having some decent if not overwhelmingly brilliant interactions with Cusack. Cusack is also reliably understated here, although he's called upon to get absurdly hysterical when Anderson does one stupid thing after another. Alice Krige is also on hand as a shady government operative who may be pulling strings that no one is really aware of until it's too late. The performances are all fine, if only they had better material with which to work.

While The Contract is certainly heads and shoulders above most of its straight to video kin, there's a reason this ostensibly well-budgeted and name-casted feature was consigned to the dustbin of "never theatrically released" history. It's a rare misfire for Beresford, one of my favorite directors, and one who is routinely and sadly underappreciated. It may have been a "paycheck" movie for him and his stars, but there are glimmers here that prove that it could have been much more with a little rewriting.

The Blu-ray

Video:
This is a pretty spectacular looking Blu-ray in a 1080p VC-1 2.35:1 transfer. Colors and contrast are excellent, even in the heavily filtered night scenes. Dimensionality is superb--in fact, when the nighttime cityscape of New York's skyline was first shown, I almost thought I was watching some new 3D process.

Sound:
Similarly the True HD 5.1 delivers the goods, especially once the film moves into its main lost in the forest setting. Great ambient effects are utilized, like rushing waterfalls and of course the punch of gunfire. Dialogue is all crystal clear and directional. An English SDH option is available, as are Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
I never saw the HD-DVD version of this, but my hunch is the main extra, a PiP option, is ported over directly from that version. It's pretty lame, unfortunately, with not much information and with what's there frequently having nothing to do with what's happening onscreen. There's also a standard making of documentary.

Final Thoughts:
The Contract is one of those maddening "could have been" movies. It has its upside, including beautiful location work and compelling performances from Freeman and Cusack. What it can't overcome is a cliche-ridden screenplay that simply warms over tried and true plot elements that anyone who's ever seen a film of this ilk is going to recognize from a host of other, and usually superior, films. Still, this could make for an unchallenging night's entertainment, so you may want to Rent It.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet