“Contagion”
4 out of 5 Pitchforks
Warner Bros. Pictures
Released: Sept. 9
JOCELYN GEE
| The State Press |
Upon first hearing the plot of Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, “Contagion,” it seemed almost too cliché. You’ve heard it before — a deadly virus spreads so rapidly that the Center for Disease Control cannot find a vaccine to stop the disease from infecting on a worldwide scale. However, what sets “Contagion” apart from other disease-themed movies is the film’s extreme sense of realism. The movie evolves into a complete horror film and a true nightmare for germaphobes everywhere.
The movie begins Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) waiting to board her flight back home to Minneapolis from a business trip in Hong Kong. With the film’s plot revolving around an airborne virus, the audience cannot help but notice her severe cough and take note of everything she comes in contact with. The virus spreads with everything she touches — her credit card, a glass of water or a doorknob. Emhoff returns home only to infect her son, who dies shortly after she does.
Shortly thereafter, some seemingly random characters begin to suffer from the same symptoms as Emhoff. A cough, severe headaches, fever, and seizures are the symptoms of the fictitious MEV-1 virus. Within just a few days, it is projected that one in every four people will die of the disease.
Soderbergh makes his film come to life by weaving together many different storylines, as if to touch on every single problem that could arise if such a pandemic were to spread. The various storylines help the film become a reality with the help of some brilliant acting.
The all-star cast includes Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, and Laurence Fishburne. Matt Damon shows the camera what he is worth as he plays the role of Emhoff’s passive-aggressive husband who replaces grief with strength in order to protect his daughter. His storyline is the most emotional, with Damon showing his true potential as a professional actor.
While the characters may have seemed randomly chosen at first, we find that it is the disease that links them together. All are trying to survive in the midst of a virus that appears to be inescapable. Whether they are fighting the virus, fighting for food rations or fighting for their loved ones, each character represents a different struggle for life in a disease-ridden world.
Although the storylines do help the film come to life, some characters’ stories seem unfinished and the outcome unclear. This is especially true of Dr. Leonora Orantes (Cotillard), whose fate we never really find out. One can’t help but wonder if Soderbergh may have been a tad overambitious with his storytelling.
Still, Soderbergh manages to capture the chilling realism of a worldwide catastrophe that could occur from an unidentified and incurable virus. With a bit of a social commentary thrown in the mix, the movie pinpoints each and every possible reaction to such devastation. It is a smart film, almost too smart to be fiction. Each character is believable, and each scene is horrifyingly plausible.
There is no doubt that “Contagion” will not only have the MEV-1 vaccine under its belt but an Oscar as well. With top-notch acting, realistic storylines, and a terrifying premise, audiences everywhere will catch the infectious “Contagion” bug on Sept. 9.
Reach the reporter at jocelyn.gee@asu.edu
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