Here we are once more for yet another (Not so) Weekly Movie Review. This week, I'm reviewing Contagion. Contagion, directed by Stephen Soderbergh, is a sci-fi/disaster movie about how society reacts to a deadly new virus. It stars Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Lawrence Fishbourne and a few others which I will not mention due to lack of time. Well, if you really want more on the ensemble cast you can just visit IMDB (but like a wise woman once said 'ain't nobody got time for that').
Well, I went to see this one with an open mind. I love apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, so I thought this would be right up my alley. In the end, I guess it is and it isn't. This isn't as much of a science fiction film as it is a scientific film. Everything, down to the *ahem* microscopic details is thoroughly researched and realistic. That applies to the acting, script and even direction. This movie is meant to play with our very real fears of viral infections and even terrorism.
Sure, that sounds like a novel approach. Many movies pretty much ignore the scientifical aspects of their stories in favor of more drama. However, this novel technique doesn't always work in the film's favour. At times, Contagion has the pacing of a documentary, and not a very interesting one at that. There were a few moments where I thought "Whoah, shit just got real", only to be disappointed when nothing happened afterwards. It really feels like a missed opportunity. It builds up a lot of tension but ultimately does nothing with the payoff.
Another problem I had with the film was the character development. I know it's hard to keep track of what's going on with who in a film with a large cast, but overall, I didn't feel like anyone changed much during the course of the film. With the exception of Jude Law's blogger character, who was, for some mysterious reason, my favourite character in the movie, there wasn't much character development. You'd think an event like this would change people, even if just a little bit.
Even so, it was a good movie. The acting was great, even if the script didn't do the characters justice. Watching society slowly crumble is pretty fun, even if it just halts in the end. Fuzzy pacing aside, I think I can recommend this to biology fans and people who like their disaster movies with a large dose of realism. I think you'll leave theaters feeling a bit dirty, and thinking about how well you washed your hands before lunch. Overall, I give it a 7/10.
Thanks for reading, and sorry for not keeping my promise. I'll review Attack The Block next week, okay? For now, here's the trailer for Contagion.
Chainsaw cheers,
-Optiluiz out...
PS: Does anyone remember the Andromeda Strain? God, I loved that one.
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