Overview
I'll keep it simple and spoiler free. With similiar style as 'Traffic', director Steven Soderbergh tells an ensemble story of a bunch of people contracting a virus starting, apparently, with Gwyneth Paltrow. They spread their germs and die quickly. (That's not spoiler, in the trailer it showed that Paltrow dies.) Soon, the CDC, World Health Organization, Department of Homeland Security and online media swing into action trying to contain, fight and/or profit from the outbreak of the deadly virus.
The Good
The acting throughout is good. Jude Law, as a high profile blogger, is especially entertaining mostly because he really reigned it in so that the sleaze didn't go over the top. Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon and Lawrence Fishburne are all really solid. I don't know much about Jennifer Ehle so maybe that's why I thought she did the best job.
The science seemed believeable and the technobabble convincing. I got the impression that the film makers must have consulted with virologist by asking them what is plausible and scary, instead of telling them "I need a virus that does this."
Right from the get go the movie takes a more international bent than other killer virus movies. Seems to make the stakes higher.
Frequently in movies, people swear over the most trivial things and it really takes me out of the moment. In 'Contagion' I only recall the F-bomb being dropped once in a context that you would actually hear it.
There are some really disturbing images early in the film, one in particular I'm sure mothers will complain about. I felt these were effective for establishing the severity of the outbreak. There's also an autopsy scene which is gross, but, again, effective.
Although a lot of people die – I mean millions and millions – you don't feel like crap when you leave the theater because (okay, I lied about the whole spoiler-free thing) the world doesn't end and the system works – except for those millions and million of dead people.
And finally, you will be watching what you do with your hands for the next two weeks.
The Bad
The upshot of Soderbergh not doing the typical movie schtick is that he doesn't insult your intelligence. The downside is sometimes the results can be a little unsatisfying. I'll just say it: I need to actually see some comeuppance.
At about two thirds of the way through the movie I realized where everything was going and that things were going to be mostly okay, so the tension was lost.
For an action thriller there wasn't much action. And the message about deforestation/encroachment was slightly heavy handed (though partically nonexistent by 'Avatar' standards).
Final Thoughts
'Contagion' is a good movie, but because of the loss of tension in the third act the effect is of watching a made for TV movie, albeit a really, really well done one. So, unless you're really out of options don't bother with it in the theater, but definitely rent it. It's kind of the perfect one-time rental movie.
