Contagion (2011)

Contagion

Year: 2011

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard

Before I begin my review………

Contagion is not a movie for hypochondriacs or those who are obsessive compulsive.

If you think you are sick all the time and are constantly worried that you are going to catch something somehow, Contagion will only fuel the fire.

I don’t consider myself a hypochondriac or obsessive compulsive, but this movie had the ability to make me paranoid. When Kate Winslet’s character, Dr Erin Mears said “The average person touches their face 3000 times a day”, I immediately became aware of how many times I touched my face or whenever someone around me did.

One of the first signs of the virus in the film is the presence of a cough. There were some coughers in the cinema, and my heart skipped a beat every time I heard one of them.

I suppose these reactions I had to the film are just an indication of how realistic Contagion is. It is now a few hours since I saw the film and the more time elapses, the more disturbing I find it. The dislodging of your emotions in a film is always a sign of a good film. You may enjoy the film or not, but the fact is that if a film makes you feel a way you weren’t feeling when you walked in the cinema, then it is doing something right.

Review……..

Contagion is Steven Soderbergh back to his best.

Soderbergh rejuvenates his ability to unsettle his audience while they are completely unaware as they are completely taken by his brilliant film-making skills.

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns from a business trip to Hong Kong with what she thinks is a bad case of the flu combined with jet lag. It is clearly not, as Beth and her young son both collapse into seizures and die within a few days. Her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon) is determined to find out what happened to his wife. The virus spreads rapidly around the globe and with millions affected and scientists cannot find a cure quick enough.

Although Contagion can be considered a suspense film, the film goes deeper than just being a race against the disease. Contagion is a scary dose of the mortality of humans and how society acts when faced with their mortality.  The realism in the film is incredible. Soderbergh’s direction makes you feel like you are right there when everything happens.

However, Contagion does lack something which a suspense film normally excels at, pace.  The first half of the film is the perfect pace, while the second half completely slows down and makes it feel longer than its 106 minutes. Yet this is Soderbergh taking time to show the stages society goes through and what the virus does to each of the characters emotionally.  This period of the film does come across as a time where not much is really happening, but look deeper to see what Contagion is really trying to tell you.

The musical score is fantastic and completely suits the atmosphere of the film. The beginning sequence of the film is the perfect way to begin the film and heightens your curiousity and interest straight away.

There is not one actor who puts in a bad performance in Contagion. Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard and Laurence Fishburne are perfect in their roles, but these three actors seem to be a rare breed of actor who can clearly just not give a bad performance.

Jude Law is also a real stand out with a role which is very different to his usual role. His character of Alan Krumwiede is very interesting. He plays the part well of the “journalist” who completely takes advantage of the situation, or so it seems.

Matt Damon is probably the only lead actor who you feel could have given more in his role. He isn’t quite as grief stricken as he should be considering his wife and stepson have just died. The relationship with his daughter, Jory played by newcomer, Anna Jacoby-Heron, doesn’t seem at all realistic. However, Jacoby-Heron is one to watch out for.

Contagion may not be a film for those who are worried about their mortality and health and will unsettle you, but there is no denying that it is very well made and a piece of art.

8/10

The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau
Year: 2011
Director: George Nolfi
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp

In My Own Words
When we were walking out of the cinema tonight, my husband and I had a discussion about Matt Damon, which turned into a heated discussion about the Oscars. Firstly, we were discussing whether Matt Damon will ever win an Oscar. Of course, he has already won one with his lifelong friend, Ben Affleck for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen for "Good Will Hunting" in 1998, but it is the elusive acting Oscar which he has become a chaser of. Damon has now been nominated for this award twice and still hasn't been able to catch up to it. Damon is an interesting actor. He is well known for his action roles such as Jason Bourne in the Bourne films, he likes the roles which are anything but ordinary such as in "The Informant!" and he can pull off the dramatic roles as well, as he showed in "Invictus". Whether he catches it will have to do with his choice of roles.

Which brought me to my second point of discussion, I don't believe any actor enters the acting profession purely to win an Oscar. I doubt if you asked Meryl Streep or Jack Nicholson "Why did you start acting?", they wouldn't say "To win an Oscar". An Oscar is the ultimate prize, but it is not the be all and end all of an actor's career.The very large majority of actors out there will never win an Oscar or even be nominated. I'm not entirely sure that when an actor who hasn't been nominated for an Oscar or any other award before performs a role which they believe they have put a great deal of effort into, do they hope an award will come to them, whether it be an Oscar or something of smaller value? How about the ones who have been nominated for an Oscar before, do they keep another nomination in the back of their mind when they perform a role which they think may have a chance? I'm not saying this is something every actor will think about or that Oscars are a means to an end or even that every actor cares about being awarded. I strongly believe that actors are artists who act because they love it and it's their means of expressing themselves and they are fortunate enough to make a living out of something they love. I can't help but wonder though, if you are nominated for an Oscar and do not win, do you have a thirst to be nominated again for chance of winning? I'm sure there would be part of them that would want this. It is only humour nature to chase what was so close yet so far away.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
"The Adjustment Bureau" is an interesting film. Yet like many other science fiction films which cross over with action films, it is very far fetched and as a result it can just seem quite silly. The idea for the film is clever and really quite intriguing, but it could have gone so much further than what it did. There were so many points in this film that could have been delved into more and quite a few gaps in the story as a result of some complex subjects addressed. Matt Damon is David Norris, a young congressman who is running for the US Senate for the state of New York. When he loses his campaign first time round, he meets an intriguing and beautiful woman, Elise (Emily Blunt) who makes him feel a way he never has before. He meets her by chance again, only to be informed afterwards that Elise is not part of the plan. The plan is the way the world and the people in it are supposed to go according to The Adjustment Bureau, the people who make sure everything goes the way it is supposed to. David tries to defy the plan and do everything he can to be with Elise, even if it means risking his life and his sanity.

"The Adjustment Bureau" was an ambitious project to take on for director George Nolfi. There is so much to this film. There is romance, drama, science fiction and action, as well as a subject matter which has to be explained in great detail and emotions which have to be addressed. It really is a huge project and one cannot blame Nolfi for missing out bits and pieces throughout the film. Many questions remain unanswered at the end of the film. For example, why do plans change throughout people's lives? If David had a angel or guardian in Harry, then why didn't Elise have one as well? If it wasn't part of the plan for these two to be together, then wouldn't there be someone on her side to keep her away from him working there as well? However, there was a lot to cover in this film so leaving a few questions unanswered didn't hurt a great deal. Many questions were answered as well which allowed the film to maintain momentum and the audience to remain interested.

A big misconception about this film is that it is just like another Bourne film. Although the film does have suspense and a few car crashes and chases in foot, it can hardly be classified as an action film. If it was classified as an action film, it would fail miserably. The concept of having a God like figure who's disciples work with mechanical means to place ideas in people's minds and scan their brains is slightly ridiculous. The whole concept of a force being behind what happens in everyday life is quite fascinating and does challenge you to think more about fate and chance. The story is well written, but the dialogue can be a little sketchy at times.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have quite a lot of on screen chemistry in this film. They respond well to each other and physically look the part fo a couple in love. They both give emotionally charged performances showing how in love the two characters really are with each other. Although the charcaters really don't see each other much during the film and normally a film where they don't see each other too much over the span of the film it seems unrealistic to understand how they feel so strongly about each other, it feels right that they should love each other so much. Both Damon and Blunt are extremely likable in their roles and both have a great amount of character. Because of these two, "The Adjustment Bureau" feels more of a romance than an action film.

George Nolfi gives "The Adjustment Bureau" a fair go. It could have gone a lot further and the ending coould have also been a bit more conclusive and satisfactory, but there are some very good aspects. Damon and Blunt bring the characters to life and the film is actually quite thought provoking. An interesting take on the ways of the world.
6.5/10

True Grit

True Grit
Year: 2010
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld

In My Own Words
Welcome to Movie Critical's first 2011 post Oscar nominations post! January and February are always the most exciting months for film because it is awards season! "True Grit" is one of the films in this award season that I have been waiting for in anticipation to be released. Reason being, it has cause for on big question in my mind. How could a film which has just recieved 10 Academy Award nominations have recieved no nominations at all at the Golden Globes? Absolutely none at all! "True Grit" is one of those films that had awards buzz about it from way before it was released. When the Golden Globe nominations got released and there was no sign of "True Grit", I decided in my own mind that it may not really be that good a film. Really naive and close-minded way of thinking I'll be the first to admit. I was still looking forward to seeing it regardless because the trailer made me very excited about it's release. So come 25th of January 5:30am, come the onslaught of "The Kings Speech"...and "True Grit".

So why did "True Grit" recieve no Golden Globe nominations? There isn't one reason, more a number of speculations. There is one speculation that "True Grit" wasn't screened for the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFP). Another speculation, is that the HFP isn't a fan of Joel and Ethan Coen. Personally, I don't know if this is the case. The Coen brothers have been around for awhile and this is their first film in quite awhile that hasn't been nominated for a Golden Globe. Yet, it is true that the Coen brothers are more popular at the Oscars than at the Golden Globes, but this is the first time the film has been snubbed completely. Or then there is the most obvious reason, maybe the HFP really just didn't enjoy "True Grit" It's unbelievable, but it could well be true. As they say, when there is a mystery, the most simple answer is normally the answer. The biggest mystery to me with all this, is how could they ignore Hailee Steinfeld's debut performance? And another question, could Steinfeld really be a contender for the Oscar even though she wasn't nominated at the Golden Globes? Of course she can, the Oscar's are a completely different ball game.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
In 1969, John Wayne won his first and only Academy Award for a film called "True Grit". 41 years later, it is Joel and Ethan Coen, the movie making brothers known for ignoring the norm and doing it well, who take on the remake of this western. While in 1969 it was Wayne who was the star of the film, in 2011 it is Hailee Steinfeld. Steinfeld, the 14 year old who in her first feature length film appearence has earned herself an Oscar nomination, is undoubtingly the scene stealer in this film. It is almost a mystery that she has been nominated for Best Supporting rather than Best Lead as she is in every scene and the story is being told through her eyes. Mattie Ross, played by Steinfeld, is out to avenge the death of her father by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) by bringing him to justice. She employs Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to accompany her into Indian territory to track down Chaney. They are also accompanied by another bounty hunter in pursuit of Chaney, LeBoeuf (Matt Damon).

One of the best things about "True Grit" is that it is unlike other traditional westerns. It is an adventure and a drama, yet it is also a coming of age story. It is a disruption of innocence and naivety. Mattie is a smart talking 14 year old who believes she is powerful and strong enough to endure everything which is thrown at her. She believes she is the rock of her family now that her father has passed and holds back all her emotion when dealing with bounty hunters, sheriff's and even when faced with her father's corpse. She shows her naivety by believing that she is going on a "great adventure" when she will track down Chaney and he will come quietly. Steinfeld's Mattie is the star of the film and the film would not be as intriguing without her. She is perfectly cast in the role and it is a brilliant performance by one so young and inexperienced in the motion picture field.

Not to say that Steinfeld is the only good thing in the film, because that is far from the truth. The Coen brothers have once again put together a tight, intriguing film. "True Grit" is the best western to come out in years. The ending is one which won't be to everyone's liking. Many may feel as if it should end one scene earlier to make the ending a bit more interesting. The script is very well written with the appropriate wording for every scene, especially those for Mattie. The character development for Mattie is fantastic as you know exactly who she is, where she has come from and her personality as if you knew her personally, yet the character development for the three other main characters is minimal. You know something about each character, but not enough to know them in the same way you know Mattie. Jeff Bridges' Rooster is the other character besides her which has a significant amount of character to him. Although you do't know his character's background, he is still an extremely significant personality of the film. Bridges does a great job at carrying through the character with consistency from beginning to end. Not in the same class as his "Crazy Heart" performance, but still a notable one.

The cinematography in the film is also quite beautiful. There are some really amazing images of the snow falling in the woods and the filming of the plains, woods and old town are really quite exquisite. The capturing of the 1800's old western period is amazing and is perfection with every aspect from the sounds and feelings which the visuals create, to the fine period clothing. The musical score is also wonderful. A musical score which send shivers up your spine is definately a commendable one.

"True Grit" is a wonderfully made western. What makes it so wonderful is that you don't have to be a western fan in order to enjoy it. The Coen brothers have once again made a successful film which steps outside the norm. While 1969's "True Grit" provided John Wayne with his first Academy Award, will 2010's "True Grit" provide Hailee Steinfeld with her first Academy Award
8.5/10