Terror and panic go hand in hand in Contagion, a superior thriller laced with intelligent dialogue from Warner Brothers now tempting audiences across North America. Master director Steven Soderbergh (Che) here combines an A-list cast with a buzz-worthy topic: contagious. And he does so in brilliant fashion. Unlike most directors or producers who routinely begin a movie with the film title and cast, Soderbergh goes right for the jugular in a slow building tale of mishaps, missed connections and deadly outcomes.
Minor Screen Time for Matt Damon Conveys Panic of Not Knowing
Connecting the dots is big in Contagion. People from different areas of the world all of the sudden start to feel sick. The first victim is a bright blonde woman named Beth Emhoff. Wait a minute, we don’t even know the woman’s name until she’s in all sorts of difficulty - well conveyed by the ever popular Gwyneth Paltrow (se7en). Good looks can’t mask a mystery illness as this bright eyed mom takes sick without warning. Her husband Mitch is panic stricken. He can’t make anything out of the predicament his wife finds herself in – nor can the medical community – until it’s too late. Action star Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) gets short shift here as Beth’s spouse who just doesn’t know what to do except sit back and watch the tragic events unfold and engulf his family.
Mitch is not alone. Without warning, other isolated cases of mysterious sick people begin to surface around the globe. The authorities are slow off the mark and medical communities seem totally caught off guard. To make matters worse - any solution to the epidemic that appears to be spreading seems futile at best.
Thrillers like this depend on timing and build-up. Soderbergh slyly creates a real feeling of desperation as the fate of the world lies hanging in the balance. Among those charged with trying to “fix” the deadly plague like symptoms are a few well-meaning doctors including Dr. Ellis Cheevers and Dr. Erin Mears. Both Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) and Kate Winslet (Dream House) stand tall as noble medical researchers desperate to find a cure.
Veteran Actor Elliott Gould Scene Stealer as Doctor on a Mission
This tense thriller lacks humour, though British transplant Jude Law (Alfie) tries to breathe some life and lightness into Contagion as a doubting blogger. But his role largely gets side-tracked as the story goes off on some pretty weird tangents. But it is nice to see veteran actor Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H*) get some screen time as another doctor trying to save the day.
Good performances, a great atmosphere of desperate people trying to survive and smooth deliveries make Contagion a pretty disturbing tale of how fragile our infrastructure can become if something dangerous gets out there. This gifted director delivers full circle closure all the while maintaining a panic level. All in all, a strong film.
Robert Waldman - Hi. I'm a film critic from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, considered to be the number one city in the world and third largest film ...
