According to sources, "Contracts" - pure stunt film. And this, by the way, is noticeable. "One Man Band" performed here Alex Chung. He is a director, an actor, an editor, a screenwriter, a stuntman, and God knows who else. This shooter has ripened everywhere, we must give him his due. And if the film is also independent, then this means a meager budget and a minimal, and often completely absent, advertising campaign. Also, don’t expect any scope and star actors. Simply put, modesty in everything except, perhaps, the authors’ imagination. Another thing is whether they will be able to bring to life in their creation everything that they come up with, and if they can, what will it look like: good or bad? The chance of a good quality product is higher if the creators of such films do not get involved with science fiction.
If a film is shot only by professional stuntmen, then it immediately becomes clear what to expect from it. It is clear that the main emphasis, as in this case, will be on staging stunts and hand-to-hand combat. Maximum attention is paid to the action scenes, which cannot be said about all other components of the film. This is understandable - you shouldn’t wait, demand and hope that the stuntman will write a strong and interesting script, act like a real actor, etc. etc. These guys do what they do best. Everything about this movie is bad except the action. The very first episode, where three hand-to-hand fights take place simultaneously in different locations, evokes admiration and puts you in a certain mood. Technique, dynamics, clarity and precision of movements, contact (if there is non-contact somewhere in the picture, I didn’t notice or feel it, and that’s good), rigidity. Good lighting, shooting, editing. There is nothing to complain about, everything is very cool.
True, it is not clear who all these people are participating in the fights and what their motives are, because we are seeing them for the first time and know nothing about them. We don’t even know, in simple terms, which of them is bad and which is good. Naturally, we have three winners, but it is impossible to rejoice at their victory or hate them. There is absolutely no emotional return, but the fights are spectacular. This is how we evaluate it as a stunt movie... Here is the next action scene on the roof, where some guy, completely dressed in a black suit (you can’t even see his eyes), is trying to kill a sniper, whom we also see for the first time and cannot understand , who is she. It already looks a little awkward. But this is not because it was poorly staged or filmed, but because the guy in such a suit looks frivolous and somehow childish, and he also has enough skill to dodge bullets while simultaneously approaching the victim, which also looks alien in the film’s surroundings. I understand that the costume is needed to maintain intrigue, so that an important twist is not revealed ahead of time, but still, it was necessary to play it differently, and generally completely redo the episode.
Initially (according to information from this site) it was planned to make a short film, but then it grew into a full-length film. And yet it is very short, its running time is a modest 1 hour 13 minutes. I have never seen a full-length film shorter than this one. Apparently, the creators were unable to make it last up to the standard hour and a half. But this is for the better, since there are plenty of fights there, but the static scenes are very, very dull. History is secondary, although this does not bother me. It’s as if there is no script at all. The same applies to the acting, and also no direction, flat characters, worthless dialogues and, as already mentioned, general dullness. This all looks more like some kind of showreel.
The film really lacks some kind of artistry, nerve, style, so that not only the fights, but also everything else looks cheerful. So it turns out that the film runs in waves, sags in static scenes and scatters the viewer’s attention, and when the swing starts, it looks like a breeze. But even then, not every viewer, even one who loves fighting, will be interested, since there is no emotional attachment to the heroes. You don’t want to “cheer” for them, and you don’t particularly wish defeat for your enemies. This is a big minus, because already well-made fights could sparkle with bright colors, and thereby become even better.
Returning to the action, it is worth saying that there are problems in those moments where the enemies have firearms. Opponents, instead of using it, for some reason get closer to their target, because of which they lose their advantage and, consider, voluntarily surrender themselves into the hands of the winner. Unfortunately, this has already become an unhealthy cliché, because you often see such scenes in action films, and I feel that this will continue to be the case. Another disadvantage is the abrupt editing in the transitions between fights, when the hero neutralizes one enemy in one location and ends up in another to eliminate the next one. That is, one location - one opponent, gluing, new location - new opponent. The moment of transition from one location to another remains behind the scenes, but this is pure taste. They also caused some dissonance (and this is also a cliché, only a very old one) and injuries without consequences for the hero Alexa Chunga. A deep knife wound to the thigh and a bullet caught in the stomach not only do not take him out of combat, but also, for example, in the final battle do not have a negative effect at all. If at first he noticeably limp when walking and feels pain, judging by his facial expression, then everything seems to go away. When he walks, he limps, but when he needs to fight, he is in perfect health, his body and limbs are fully functional.
The final battle - two against one - is simply a sight for sore eyes and it was done in the best Indonesian traditions. It is very long, cruel and bloody, dynamic and uncompromising. Exaggerated resistance to damage and super-endurance also occur. Interestingly, after watching the film the second time, I enjoyed it more and decided to add it to my collection, although after the first viewing I did not want to do this. Still, Mochilovo is cool here. But we must understand that this is a stunt film and an independent film, and it must be judged accordingly. But then again, if the film had remained a short film, then perhaps it would have been even better for her.
Did you manage it? Alex Chung with all your tasks? Partially, yes. But the direction and script leave much to be desired. Although I give his film a pass, I would like to wish Alex to get better at short films for now. And when he has more experience and knowledge, he tries to make a big movie. And if he wants to play leading roles, it will be useful to improve his acting. Although this is not the main thing, it definitely won’t be superfluous.
Sergey Volkolak
Especially for Fight-Films.info
I am waiting. I hope there will be something exciting.
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