Contagion is an excellent film and is scarier than most horror films you will ever watch. It is about an epidemic that spreads worldwide and the truth is all of what you see in this film could actually happen to us. Director Steven Soderbergh starts the film with the sound of a person coughing, and then we see the touching of food, drinks, doors, buttons, and everything else that we encounter in our everyday lives. They are things that seem so ordinary to us, but can become deadly in an instant.
It all begins with Beth (Gwyneth Paltrow) who comes back to Minneapolis after being in Hong Kong for business. She has been coughing and since she has been home with her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) and son, she starts to get worse until she suddenly drops and has a seizure on the kitchen floor. Once at the hospital, Mitch finds out that his wife has unexpectedly passed away. Beth becomes the first American to die from this fast-moving virus, and she won’t be the last. A global pandemic begins to occur and people who work for the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) try to uncover what is happening, how it started, and finding a cure before it is too late and millions more die from this deadly disease that shows no sign of stopping.
Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) hears about this newly discovered virus at the CDC in Atlanta and knows the victims are multiplying by the day. So he sends one of his best, Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet), out on the field to these different locations where there has been initial contact with the disease and contain those who are already suffering and showing symptoms of it. Meanwhile, a WHO representative, Dr. Orantes (Marion Cotillard), is sent to track down the root of the problem and find out how this epidemic has gotten so far so fast.
This story is a race against time for all of those involved. Every second that goes by, there are people dying. The longer all of this goes on, the more that panic and fear begin to take over which can cause more damage than the virus itself. And with independent activist blogger Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) involved, he only adds fuel to the fire by posting conspiracy theories and trying to uncover “secrets” that are being kept from the public. The worst part is he has over 12 million followers who believe in what he is saying. So with all of the chaos that is occurring around the world, time cannot be wasted.
Contagion should feel overwhelming with all of its characters and different subplots. But Soderbergh has this gift to focus on a worldwide problem, but make it feel grounded and personal. He has a bunch of personalities with completely different perspectives. The beauty of the film is you can relate to so many different characters and imagine yourself in their shoes. It may be tough to do so, but the truth is if we were ever faced with such a crisis, what would you do? Or perhaps what would you not do to survive and protect those that you love?
This is a disaster film. It is a thriller. It is a realistic horror film. Soderbergh pays great attention to detail and never has a film looked and felt so realistic. Only a director such as him could get such a stellar cast. All of them, the big names and the faces you may not know, do an amazing job. Each of them in their own way, play important, pivotal roles to surviving and solving this deadly issue. They each have to make tough choices and sacrifices in order to save themselves or others. They‘re no different from anyone else around them. And, they are all paranoid, scared, and do not know how long this will last or what the final outcome will be.
Contagion is a dose of reality. You are almost glad when it ends just so you can relax. But, there is no way you will leave and not think about washing your hands a few more times, being careful of who or what you come in contact with, or not touching your face every 3-5 seconds. Soderbergh has made a film about a topic that hits too close to home. And while that can be terrifying, it makes us think about what we saw. It sticks with us long after the film is over. This is when you know you have made a film of importance and have made an impact on the audience. Soderbergh has done just that.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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