Contagion (2011)

2/4

At best this is a tense, powerful look at the worldwide paranoia that results when a lethal virus begins to spread; at worst it is a jumpy, conjolted attempt to bring a fresh look to an exhausted sub-genre. Steven Soderbergh returns to the similar star-powered, collage-like storytelling style that he used with such grace in his award-winning film, Traffic (2000). He is unable to recreate that success because of a plot that is far too busy to allow us any emotional attachment to its characters which ruins the humanism that Soderbergh tries so hard to establish. The plot follows the massive and uncontrollable worldwide spread of an unknown virus. Jumping from various characters and story lines that have no direct relation to one another, other than every character trying to survive the epidemic. I found myself completely uninterested in the scientific mumbo-jumbo that comes with the territory in these kind of epidemic films. Doctors spewing educated sounding but still ignorant crap to people who just want honest answers, that is where the repetitiveness comes out. How many films have we watched that have taken that exact same approach? My guess is many. Featuring an A-list cast - including the presence of Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslett, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow - that is more for show than for actual substance. Fishburne and Winslett Dr. Cheever and Dr. Mears, the front line for the taming of the virus. Matt Damon and Jude Law have to of the stronger and more lasting performances. Still neither are given the chance to steal any scenes, instead we are left with two solid, but poorly-utilized performances. Damon plays Mitch Emhoff, a father who is dealing with the sudden death of both his wife (Paltrow) and step-son, while also trying to protect his teenaged daughter. Law plays Alan Krumwiede, a freelance journalist/blogger whose aggressive and ill-formed opinions cause serious tension during the crisis. We are given so many characters played by such appealing faces, but left with caricatures of their potentially relatable personalities and actions Contagion's strengths are when it takes the more humanistic approach and allows us to get first-hand looks as the worlds crumbles in overpowering paranoia. Soderbergh's tense, stylish direction works well and creates some thrilling moments, but at the same time his attempts to blend style and honest emotion conflict with each other rather than coexisting. Soderbergh brings his talents and draws in the stars, alas there just is little he has to work with and the human relations of his story are inconsistent.