Jason KingCONTAGION: A Review
November 21st 2011 07:16
:
At long last.......
Category: Reviews
Contagion is the mammoth casted latest film from Steven Soderbergh starring half of Hollywood and showing a very documentary-like film of what would happen in the case of an outbreak of a deadly earth wiping virus.
The main cast contains an extraordinarily high number of actors who have been nominated for or who have won Academy Awards: Marion Cotillard (won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for La Vie en Rose); Matt Damon (co-won Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Good Will Hunting); Laurence Fishburne (nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for What's Love Got to Do with It);Elliott Gould (nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice); John Hawkes (nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Winter's Bone); Jude Law (nominated twice); Gywneth Paltrow (won Best Actress in a Leading Role for Shakespeare in Love); Kate Winslet (won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for The Reader - and deserves an Oscar for everything she does).
I really hope these guys went for a limited payment as the costs of these actors combined is about as much as the worth of the US at the moment.
Soderbergh crafts a fast paced but slow moving film. There is so much going on but the film moves really slow if this makes sense. It is not a bad pacing but due to the extraordinary amount of talent in the film and abundance of characters I think this film would have been ideal as a mini series on TV, it was such a sensationally crafted tale that it deserved more time for everyone on set.
The film is a successfully accurate social study of a vast sector of the public in how they all react to the pending apocalypse. It seriously makes you think what you would do. It is so factual and realistic that you will be forever using bloody disinfectant and giving evil people who don't cover their mouthes when they cough death stares for the rest of your life. I really think a lot of the public won't be into the film as it isn't Hollywood in the sense we are used to - it is realism on film and it isn't pretty.
The film is written by Scott Z. Burns who has brought us such Damon films as The Informant and The Bourne Ultimatum. His writing and ability to tell multi tales is sensational. It isn't your typical multi story film where they all overlap by the end. This is a story showcasing the broader society and some of them overlap and others do not - again it isn't a typical Hollywood film.
Now for the acting. I can hardly fault anyone, they are all such huge professionals and if I had to pick the let down, the one who didn't do it for me it would be Jude Law, his character just annoyed me and someone told me after the film he was supposed to be playing an Australian - if that was the case he should have been fired - worst portrayal of an Australian EVER
. My standouts go to Kate Winslet - she is a goddess to me and can never do wrong - she gets so immersed in her characters that she is spellbinding. Cotillard is also amazing to watch and Paltrow is brilliant - I really wish she was in more. Fishburne is great and Damon is Damon - superb at everything he does (you still aren't as good as Leo Matt but keep at it ).
While it is an amazing film that is created with the upmost professionalism and starring some of the strongest talent in the industry it just didn't hit the high I wanted, am I too Hollywoodised? I am not sure but it lacked the climax I would expect due to its abundant realism and documentary feel. I still recommend it and it's a critics wet dream - I see Oscars for this one and its film maker. Out now and soon out on Blu Ray/ DVD. Worth 8/10
And a PS: It was great seeing this with my ex Toby who I need to spend more time with He has been hassling me for this review since we saw it about a month ago
The main cast contains an extraordinarily high number of actors who have been nominated for or who have won Academy Awards: Marion Cotillard (won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for La Vie en Rose); Matt Damon (co-won Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Good Will Hunting); Laurence Fishburne (nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for What's Love Got to Do with It);Elliott Gould (nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice); John Hawkes (nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Winter's Bone); Jude Law (nominated twice); Gywneth Paltrow (won Best Actress in a Leading Role for Shakespeare in Love); Kate Winslet (won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for The Reader - and deserves an Oscar for everything she does).
I really hope these guys went for a limited payment as the costs of these actors combined is about as much as the worth of the US at the moment.
Soderbergh crafts a fast paced but slow moving film. There is so much going on but the film moves really slow if this makes sense. It is not a bad pacing but due to the extraordinary amount of talent in the film and abundance of characters I think this film would have been ideal as a mini series on TV, it was such a sensationally crafted tale that it deserved more time for everyone on set.
The film is a successfully accurate social study of a vast sector of the public in how they all react to the pending apocalypse. It seriously makes you think what you would do. It is so factual and realistic that you will be forever using bloody disinfectant and giving evil people who don't cover their mouthes when they cough death stares for the rest of your life. I really think a lot of the public won't be into the film as it isn't Hollywood in the sense we are used to - it is realism on film and it isn't pretty.
The film is written by Scott Z. Burns who has brought us such Damon films as The Informant and The Bourne Ultimatum. His writing and ability to tell multi tales is sensational. It isn't your typical multi story film where they all overlap by the end. This is a story showcasing the broader society and some of them overlap and others do not - again it isn't a typical Hollywood film.
Now for the acting. I can hardly fault anyone, they are all such huge professionals and if I had to pick the let down, the one who didn't do it for me it would be Jude Law, his character just annoyed me and someone told me after the film he was supposed to be playing an Australian - if that was the case he should have been fired - worst portrayal of an Australian EVER
. My standouts go to Kate Winslet - she is a goddess to me and can never do wrong - she gets so immersed in her characters that she is spellbinding. Cotillard is also amazing to watch and Paltrow is brilliant - I really wish she was in more. Fishburne is great and Damon is Damon - superb at everything he does (you still aren't as good as Leo Matt but keep at it ). 
While it is an amazing film that is created with the upmost professionalism and starring some of the strongest talent in the industry it just didn't hit the high I wanted, am I too Hollywoodised? I am not sure but it lacked the climax I would expect due to its abundant realism and documentary feel. I still recommend it and it's a critics wet dream - I see Oscars for this one and its film maker. Out now and soon out on Blu Ray/ DVD. Worth 8/10
And a PS: It was great seeing this with my ex Toby who I need to spend more time with
He has been hassling me for this review since we saw it about a month ago | 28 |
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