Side Effects

Expectations:
After seeing so many amazing films in December and January, it was hard for me to get excited about watching a "regular" movie. However, I missed the theater, because it's like a second home for me and all. I have seen the trailer for Identity Thief at least 300 times, so I decided to skip out on the big moneymaker this weekend. The trailer for Side Effects was a bit vague, which always intrigues me. Also, this is director Steven Soderbergh's final film, as he plans to retire from directing. This mind brought us many great films, such as the Ocean's trilogy, Magic Mike, and Erin Brockovich, so it is worth noting. While my expectations were not very high, I was hopeful that my 2013 movie-watching calendar would get off to a great start...

Plot:
The depth of the Side Effects plot was very surprising, and, towards the end of the film, I think everyone in the theater was a little confused about how many different elements were crashing down on one another. The various twists and turns were not complicated, but the explanation of those twists was not at all clear, making it a little hard to follow. However, it was quite interesting, and the addition of an insider trading incident enticed the business part of my brain. The best part was how long the drama was held out. Normally, the twists and turns all happen at the end of the film, but that was not the case with Side Effects. Instead, the twists kept rolling through the entire second half of the film, which I enjoyed.

Characters:
Unfortunately, the Side Effects characters didn't quite live up to the story in which they were placed. I am a fan of each and every actor that starred in a major role (except maybe Zeta), but they just weren't as good as they could have been.

Negatives:
This reference may be overkill by now, but I loved Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street. Hopefully, he will begin to choose his roles more wisely and stay with roles similar to his Jump Street character, because he certainly can't play a Wall Street guy. His role of Martin Taylor, husband to Rooney Mara's Emily, was very dull and undoubtedly the worst of the film. Also, Laila Robins, who played the partner of Jude Law's Dr. Banks, could have been the worst actress I have ever seen in my life. I don't know how someone that old could possibly have stayed in the business for so long, but it was just plain awful.

Positives:
Rooney Mara was able to channel her inner Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for her role as depressed wifey Emily Taylor. The character was not anywhere near as intense as ol Lisbeth, but her attitudes were similarly depressing and sad to look at. She did a great job, but I would really like to see her play a different character in her next role. Maybe she could even smile! As Dr. Banks, a psychiatrist with patient problems, Jude Law was as good as ever. For some reason, he comes off to me as a very genuine guy, which is good in a film where you are the supposed good guy. I will not tell you what becomes of Banks and Emily, but their relationship provides many twists and turns. Some good... some not as good. At times they don't interact too well with one another. However, the characters, by themselves, are great.

Conclusion:
My first actual 2013-released film was not at all a disappointment, as Side Effects kept me interested and guessing throughout. The performances were not spectacular, but that is coming from the mind that last witnessed the amazing ensemble of Silver Linings Playbook, in which the acting was amazing. Regardless, the story was the focal point of Soderbergh's Swan Song, and he went out with a bang. Now, we must pray that 2013 can keep it up and produce many more memorable moments in film. I give Side Effects 3.01 out of 5 stars and warn you to check with your doctor before watching this film. Also, make sure aren't pregnant, nursing, or maybe becoming pregnant during the film. See what I did there!

Contagion

Expectations:
While most virus movies turn people into monsters or zombies, Contagion dared to be different. This difference was the main reason that the film interested me. Another reason was that the trailer told very little about the plot. I love it when trailers leave you hanging... a lot. Even with these two positives, I sort of expected Contagion to be subpar. Virus movies tend to be really good or REALLY bad. The trailer did very little but flash big Hollywood faces one after another, which kind of made me think that this movie may just try to hook audiences with its actors and ignore the importance of plot all together. Let's face it, movies with many big names usually suck. That's just how it is.

Plot:
Overall, the plot differed greatly from previous virus movies that I have seen. The coolest thing early on was how you sort of followed the virus, watching how people touched something, then sneezed on this person, who shook someone's hand. It really made me feel like this could seriously happen tomorrow. The story was very very real and lacked the usual predictable plot lines. Everyone in the movie reacted to the situation just like I probably would have. There was no random action scene here or awkward love scene there. There were a lot of different plot lines, but they never made it a point for everyone to meet up coincidentally or anything like that. In my personal opinion, if movies like this freak you out, don't go watch it!

Characters:
As I said, I was a bit worried about the fact that so many stars were in the film, but this really never bothered me while I was watching. There were even more familiar faces that completed the cast, but I didn't find them out of place either. Laurence Fishburne and Matt Damon had the largest roles, in my opinion, but the focus was really distributed well among the stars to make each of their roles important. Jude Law kind of gets on my nerves. Just thought I would throw that out there.

Best Character: Dr. Ellis Cheever, played by Laurence Fishburne, was probably my favorite character, but it was very hard to choose. Fishburne played a bit sensitive, compared to his usual tough-man self. I thought he did a great job and was very relatable if you put yourself in his shoes.

Worst Character: Dr. Leonora Orantes, played by Marion Cotillard, was completely irrelevant to the entire film. Her goal was to figure out where the virus originated, which you would think might be useful. But there is a twist in her plot that was really the only weakness in the entire film, which is a bit disappointing considering how awesome her voice is.

Conclusion:
Contagion certainly wasn't my favorite film of 2011, but it was one of the biggest surprises of the year, for me at least. The cast gelled well because they didn't interact very much, and the plot was very unique, which is a rarity these days. If you take Marion Cotillard out of the movie, it nears perfection as far as plot lines go. Because it really falls under no category, I have waited until now to tell you that the ending kind of sucks. My reaction was not really "that makes no sense" or "why did I just waste my time on this movie." Instead, it was "surely they could have figured out a better way to tell me this." I hope that explanation makes sense. With that being said, I assure you that the movie is worth your watch, regardless of the ending. I give Contagion 3.1 out of 5 stars and remind you to go wash your hands.... NOW!!!