Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard
Running time: 106 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Extras: ‘The Reality of Contagion’, ‘The Contagion Detectives’, ‘How a Virus Changes the World’ documentaries.
In the run up to its cinema release, director Steven Soderbergh maintained that CONTAGION’s deadly viral pandemic was a frighteningly real possibility. Whether a PR stunt or not, Soderbergh delivered his warning to the world with absolute conviction, adding a layer of tension to the film for those who had heard it. This is not the only thing Soberbergh has maintained with utter conviction over the course of his career; his approach to filmmaking is unmistakable, employing familiar narrative and visual tricks, regardless of genre, plot, or inherent themes. Whether it works for you or not, Soderbergh is arguably one of the most recognizable auteurs working in US filmmaking today.
CONTAGION is no exception. Like many of his films before, it’s a ensemble piece, unfolding over a series of fragmented narratives. It also has the look of a Hollywood production, whilst being peppered with inflections of indie sensibility. Yes, this is pure Soderbergh. What it isn’t, however, is as effective as such a film should be. Dealing with such realistic horrors, CONTAGION should have been a shoe-in for most terrifying film of the year. But unlike the film’s villainous virus, it fails to get completely under the skin. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact problem, and it seems to suffer from a number of problems. CONTAGION feels too fractured and lacks clear, identifiable direction; it’s also heavy handed in its approach to the subject matter (Jude Law’s irritatingly transparent blogger being the prime example), and though it has a strong message, never quite has the courage to show humankind at its very worst.
That isn’t to say CONTAGION is a complete misstep. Whilst some of its narrative threads prove relatively dull, some gutsy casting choices to offer a ‘anything goes’ feel, meaning no one is safe from the killer bug, not even our most beloved A-listers. Well meaning but dull and lacking in subtlety, CONTAGION may bear the markings of Soberbergh’s characterisyic style, but it’s far from his best.
Extras: Three docs that are fairly interesting to begin with but essentially just regurgitate the information dished out in the film itself. Yes, we get it: it could happen.
CONTAGION is available on Blu-ray & DVD Triple Play 5th March
