GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Sheep Movie Review: Steven Soderbergh's Contagion | I Smell Sheep

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Sheep Movie Review: Steven Soderbergh's Contagion


Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Laurence Fishburne, opened last Friday, reminding us just what a dirty, germy planet we live on. The story is pretty straight forward, an unlikely set of circumstances allow an extremely virulent virus to hop species to humans thus threatening civilization as we know it. We follow the lives of key individuals representing the efforts of emergency management organizations around the world as they attempt to contain and eradicate the threat. Okay. I know what you're thinking. "Wait, I'm pretty sure that this story's been done before, right?" Yeah, the outbreak scenario has been explored in other movies... such as.. well... Outbreak, 28 Days Later, or hell... even Will Smith had a shot at one in I Am Legend.

So, what makes this movie special? A stated goal of the director was to bring to the screen a realistic version of events that we may suffer through in the event of a for real global pandemic. With almost an Oliver Stonesian (Back and to the left. Back and to the left) deliberateness, Soderbergh carefully chose camera angles and emphasized sick people touching and spreading their cooties. It seems clear to me that the lesson to be taken away from the film is... just because H1N1 didn't kill 50% of the earth's population doesn't mean we should sit on our laurels. I'll bet that the sales of hand sanitizer goes up after this film makes its rounds!

With action hero actors such as Damon and Fishburne in the cast, I could see how some audience members may be disappointed as the largely sedate, science driven, tear jerker drama unfolds. There isn't much death defying stunt anything... so if that's something you crave in a fall film, I'd advise you to wait for this on Netflix. That being said, though I found the movie both educational and enjoyable. I'd say that if you enjoyed watching something like District 9, you'd probably get something out of this.

I'm going to give this movie 3.5 cootiefied sheep!

3 comments:

  1. Since I think "The Stand" is one of the all time best works ever written, I can't wait to see this (hopefully this weekend if all of Tx isn't on fire)! Have to love a film that gives you a glimpse of what a global pandemic could potentially look like...minus the good vs. evil caricatures! ;)

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  2. Very honest review Richard. I like each of those movies you listed, and for me I dont need the big bang bang blow'em up in ALL movies. I'll check this one out for sure! And bring a mask just in case. ;)

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  3. Thanks for sharing the reviews ! I never heard about this movie before. The movie looks like great one. I would love to see it..

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