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I am a fan of authors
like Stephen King because they have a way of capturing
human behavior that makes it even scarier than
the creatures we do not see lurking in the dark.
The way people in the book or on the screen react
to the terror is often far more disturbing. Granted
the new Sci-fi thriller, CONTAGION, is in no way
a horror film; yet it does give us a glimpse into
panic stricken society and what people will do
when hope seems lost.
Director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Oceans 11,
Erin Brockovich) does a fine job of taking a film
about a deadly airborne disease and making it
something all together different. When Beth Emhoff
(Gwyneth Paltrow) returns from a business trip
in Hong King she brings with her a strain of virus
that soon begins to spread all over the country.
Soon the CDC and WHO are working feverishly to
try and find a cure. Meanwhile panic stricken
cities begin to see their inhabitants turn to
self preservation at any cost. These are not aliens
or terrorists or zombies attacking. But a virus.
An all too real possibility.
This film is most brilliant in its simplicity.
It doesn’t try to create in-depth storylines
or give you range of emotions from characters.
Some things that happen are never explained or
rationalized. Like life. Soderbergh is great at
shooting elements that embody emotion. The entire
scene becomes the character. These moments may
turn off the average movie-goer who wants fast
paced, dialogue filled thrillers that reach a
crescendo and never drop a decibel. Then have
all their questions answered and wrapped in a
pretty little bow. CONTAGION is not that sort
of film and in many ways is better for it.
Steven must be an amazing director to work for
since all his films draw big time actors. Matt
Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Kate Winslet,
and Elliott Gould are a few of the a-listers found
here. Most of his characters though have little
screen time but the parts they play are crammed
with dramatic energy and necessity. It is this
balance of power mixed with ominous stillness
and a plot line that is certainly conceivable
that makes this film eerie and captivating. Unlike
previous attempts (Outbreak, Blindness, etc) this
one is set apart by the subtlety. It creatively
shows how easy it would be to pass a virus like
this along and how plausible the fiction is. So
go wash your hands.
CONTAGION is rated PG-13 for disturbing content
and some language. It is graphic in its depiction
of illness and the effects it takes on the body.
Scenes of mass graves and lifeless eyes are certainly
not good visuals for your youngsters. The language
is what you would expect from a society in the
grips of agoraphobia. It isn’t vulgar but
does include one angry use of the F word. I give
it 4 out of 5 hand sanitizers. It is a film that
grows on you. I heard people leaving the screening
saying they loved it. Then others, like me, will
find it a decent viewing that becomes more appreciative
as it sinks in over time.
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2011 Mungleshow Productions. All rights reserved.
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