When a US intelligence agent is unable to bring a ruthless drug baron to justice, he resorts to hiring a contract killer. But the man he is put in contact with turns out to be an old friend. My main reason for tracking this poorly rated 70s flick was Roy Budd's score. Unfortunately there is almost nothing from his beautiful work in the final soundtrack, so don't lose time with this very bad movie, get Budd's score instead! Or if you're looking for a better euro gritty 70s crime movie starring Michael Caine and making good use of a Budd score, try The Black Windmill.<br/><br/>Mostly The Marseille Contract suffers from a story that succeeds in being both pedestrian and erratic. (Routine) Action happens and just doesn't add up. Michael Caine is barely guest-starring, getting his buoyant gig while Anthony Quinn's main/gloomy story is suddenly demoted to the background. James Mason simply says his uninteresting lines as requested, and the girls are great.<br/><br/>Too bad Roy Budd didn't get to unleash his talent for excellent movies. For me Get Carter is just OK-cool thanks to Budd + Caine, but they are both underused in The Marseille Contract.<br/><br/>François de Roubaix also wrote magnificent scores for lame movies but you can watch them just to enjoy the music in context; and often his scores inflated movies above their mediocre boilerplate qualities. And he also scored fine movies, even during the seventies. All I knew was the cast of The Destructors before I started watching it. How could a film starring Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, and James Mason be bad? Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. It's an extremely entertaining movie with three powerhouse actors making the most of their roles.<br/><br/>The start of the film shows Anthony Quinn and his lover Alexandra Stewart getting dressed after a liaison. They seem to have a loving chemistry together, but then she mentions having to go home and relieve the babysitter—she's married. It's a perfect warning for the audience because nothing's as it seems throughout the film. Tony is a policeman, and he's continually frustrated by a drug lord's escaping the legal system. Not only does the villain peddle massive amounts of drugs in and out of the country, but he and his henchman murder without any provable trace that they're responsible. Tony's fed up and decides to take matters into his own hands by hiring a hit-man.<br/><br/>Even more than I love the performances of the three leads—which are very good—I love Judd Bernard's screenplay. He introduces each character with a uniquely interesting scene that helps the audience gain an accurate picture. There are so many scenes I'd love to describe in hopes of getting you hooked on the premise, from the meaningful, tension-filled scenes between Tony and Alexandra to the introduction of Tony to Michael Caine—it's natural yet nerve-wracking. Both Tony and Michael are particularly yummy in this film, if you happen to think either of them is handsome like I do. James Mason has a few miles on him, but he's classy and almost regal-looking, and his sensitive expressions outweigh any bad behavior he might be getting into. If you like any of the three actors, European-styled films, thrillers with bad boys, or want to see the famous ten-minute car chase seduction that so many films have subsequently copied, rent The Destructors for a very fun weekend movie night.
Imajederre replied
344 weeks ago