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RE: Pretty good - 7/11/2011 6:31:50 PM

Spaldron

Posts: 10487
Joined: 6/10/2006
From: Chair

This was a solid and well directed piece with some good performances (except Jude Law's WTF accent) but it did begin to run out of steam in the final 40 minutes and started to drag. I think it definitely has some pacing issues considering how well the film builds in the first hour. Still worth a look. 3/5

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Post #: 31

RE: Pretty good - 11/11/2011 2:05:57 AM

Nimrods Son

Posts: 293
Joined: 2/6/2008

If you're intrigued by the science behind viruses like I am, Contagion is an intriguing film. It's also pretty scary in places.
BUT the characters are essentially all cyphers to fill out parts of the plot (Fishbourne's character gives insight into the CDC's efforts to fight the virus, Damon show's the effect of it on the average guy, etc.) and nobody's story arc really grabs you that much. It's more like the whole being more than the sum of its' parts: seeing the virus' growth across the globe and the science and procedures used to combat it. For something that shows such a devastating human event, the only time I got emotional was near the end when Matt Damon (easily the best actor in the film and one of the few given something apart from science jargon to do) is SPOILER: looking at pictures of his dead wife on her camera. Had All I Want Is You stuck in my head for weeks as well!

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Post #: 32

Warning: May Cause Drowsiness. - 15/12/2011 5:48:10 PM

Artificial Luddite

Posts: 8
Joined: 8/11/2011

Remember when a science teacher named Eliot Moore attempted to survive a disturbing pandemic in Central Park? No? How about when virologist Colonel Sam Daniels combined monkey antibodies in Cedar Creek? If not, then you are likely to forget Contagion, Steven Soderberg’s germ-based disaster movie. In the opening scene, Gwyneth Paltrow unleashes a fast-acting lethal virus on Western civilization, and before long, Laurence Fishburne is making important decisions as Matt Damon’s dejected everyman protects his daughter, and a uniformed Bryan Cranston makes concerned faces. In between these frantic scenes, a puffy-eyed Marion Cotillard traces the humble bat-pig origins of the deadly virus, while a host of other famous faces pass through, flogging sensational tales and intense gazes. Critics have referred to this as an “eclectic cast,” and “an ensemble piece,” but most characters, like janitor John Hawkes or lab-assistant Demetri Martin, are pointless to the point of parody. The sheer number of them makes for some fast-paced editing, and the plot thunders along as a result – jumping from Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Tokyo – but at what cost? No actor successfully escapes from the one-dimensional script, although Damon comes close with his ‘grieving husband,’ as does Kate Winslet, who is underused. Despite this, Contagion still remains an entertaining popcorn movie, and its realistic take on the disaster-film genre is a welcome change from more recent and hammy ones: Roland Emmerich’s 2012 and the Spierig brother’s Daybreakers come to mind. With rising death tolls and no cure in sight, society rapidly deteriorates with riots and looting in every major capital. It’s fine. It’s not “bloody terrifying,” or some “metathriller” or a “methodical exploration of the threat of pandemics” that is “well worth your time.” It’s fine.

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Post #: 33

Contagion Review - 20/1/2012 6:36:20 PM

the film man

Posts: 598
Joined: 13/10/2010

Tense, tightly plotted, and bolstered by a stellar cast, Contagion is an exceptionally smart and scary disaster movie.

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Post #: 34

Contagion Review - 11/3/2012 2:11:36 PM

DaleLawson

Posts: 21
Joined: 19/12/2011
From: Exmouth

Yes, Contagion was a little slow in places and the final scene was a disappointment, but all in all the film was very entertaining. It is probably the first horror/thriller film in a long time that actually chose a fear shared by everyone in modern society. Matt Damon was fantastic as the loving father, Jude Law performed his role as the Australian antagonist with ease and all the other actors kept me engaged throughout the film till the conclusion of penultimate scene.

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Post #: 35

RE: Pretty good - 17/3/2012 10:06:00 PM

UTB

Posts: 9044
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nimrods Son

If you're intrigued by the science behind viruses like I am, Contagion is an intriguing film. It's also pretty scary in places.
BUT the characters are essentially all cyphers to fill out parts of the plot (Fishbourne's character gives insight into the CDC's efforts to fight the virus, Damon show's the effect of it on the average guy, etc.) and nobody's story arc really grabs you that much. It's more like the whole being more than the sum of its' parts: seeing the virus' growth across the globe and the science and procedures used to combat it. For something that shows such a devastating human event, the only time I got emotional was near the end when Matt Damon (easily the best actor in the film and one of the few given something apart from science jargon to do) is SPOILER: looking at pictures of his dead wife on her camera.

Pretty much agree with this entirely.

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Post #: 36

RE: Contagion - 19/3/2012 11:17:04 AM

yazoo88

Posts: 30
Joined: 19/3/2012

Did not rate this film at all, the best it offered was the shock factor which is delivered in abundance, but other than that it was a poor attempt at a disaster movie.

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Post #: 37

DIDN'T CATCH THE BUG - 4/5/2012 2:40:04 PM

ROTGUT

Posts: 299
Joined: 14/7/2008

A top notch director, a great cast, a decent script – and a classic set up ripe for a myriad dramatic possibilities.

So how come Contagion turns out to be one of the slowest, dreariest, dullest films ever made? After watching this thing for two hours on DVD I just couldn’t dredge up the enthusiasm for any of the characters. They get up, they go to work, they catch the bug, they die. They sit around in rooms like turkeys yakkety, yak yakking with each other for what seems like an eternity…….and then they discover a cure right at the end, although by that time I was well past caring. And don’t blink otherwise you’ll miss Gwyneth Paltrow’s tiny little contribution – “Hi honey, I’m home” – WHUMP!!!! DEAD!!!!

Ditto Kate Winslet.

The 1995 film Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman covers much the same ground as this production, but at least Wolfgang Peterson’s film doesn’t forget about it’s audience.

Steven Soderbergh seems to be too distracted by the star-power at his disposal to fashion anything that’s even approaching entertaining. A tired looking, un-inspired film which seems to have been churned out by a studio and a director who only seem to be fulfilling an end of year quota. See it if you must – just don’t pay for the privilege.

TWO STARS…..

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Post #: 38

RE: DIDN'T CATCH THE BUG - 2/7/2012 12:19:35 PM

MuckyMuckMan

Posts: 2327
Joined: 1/10/2005

SPOILERS

Agree with you Rotgut, the cast in most parts are so underused its unbelievable. I got the impression these huge stars just wanted the chance to work with Soderbergh so they took the smallest of parts. Kate Winslet's death is so understated its like one minute she's there the next she's gone with no emotional string for the audience to grab hold of. Of all the actors, Matt Damon is the most involved and his is the best turn out of them all, even considering he just plays an ordinary Joe.

In terms of story, its very believable and plausible, more so than the much more enjoyable Outbreak but it fails to give the audience the emotional impact considering millions of people have died due to the virus. It feels as though only a handfull of people have died due to the mass contagion being glossed over. I did enjoy the movie but I think it could have played out far better if it had been a 3hr film'

3/5, good but could have been exceptional.

< Message edited by MuckyMuckMan -- 2/7/2012 12:20:37 PM >

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Post #: 39

RE: Contagion - 21/7/2012 2:21:30 PM

tusse67

Posts: 5
Joined: 12/5/2008

I found this depiction of a worldwide pandemic very good. Usually movies concerning pandemics deals with some airborne critter with close to 100% mortality seen from the viewpoint of a few characters. This movie approaches it subject with a more realistic mortality and transmission from a more "global" description of the pandemic. As a biologist I've always found the (realistic) description of how the bug spreads without regard to the actors fame more interesting than seeing which of Dustin Hoffman's collegues gets killed by it!

As to the somewhat insensitive (lacking) description of the casualties... Wasn't it Stalin who said: One persons death is a tragedy, whereas the death of one million is statistics?

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Post #: 40

RE: Contagion - 21/7/2012 7:21:08 PM

Russ Whitfield

Posts: 425
Joined: 10/4/2012

SPOLIERS

I thought this was an OK movie, but only ...OK, which is surprising given the acting talent on display.

I thought that Jude Law's character really was superfluous to the film - he played the role with conviction, but really,it smacked of a conversation around the table "There'd be a blog guy... he'd be the one to cause some real shit"...

Maybe so, but I don't think the film needed the character - but if you're going to bring that sort of chap in, the neat "he gets his deserts" at the end doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of movie.

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Post #: 41

RE: Contagion - 29/7/2012 12:11:58 AM

moviebuff73

Posts: 120
Joined: 7/6/2012
From: diss

it's ok but it just reminded me the dustin hoffman movie outbreak.

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Post #: 42

Stunning Soderbergh - 1/12/2012 7:43:35 PM

danielthompson99

Posts: 150
Joined: 6/5/2006

What a terrifying, and electric movie. Wow! Briskly paced, lavishly shot with the traditional thumping Soderbergh soundtrack and is fantasticly cast.
Winslet, Coutillard, Damon, Paltrow, Law and Fishburne all deliver stella performances.
The movie shows that most horrifying scenario where everyday, normal people faced with extraordinary and terrifying conditions can become the bad guys.You hear that we are all just 1 day's lack of meals away from total anarchy, well this film shows what that looks like. And it's not a pretty place to live.
Love this guy's work. This is one of his best.

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Post #: 43

Glorified propaganda - 30/3/2013 11:32:49 PM

JJB888

Posts: 73
Joined: 19/12/2008

Contagion suggests that the government are the do gooders and that the bloggers and those wanting to release the truth are the baddies. Absolute tosh. A few flairs and a big name cast aside, this is ineffective, overrated and coldly presented. Damon is the worst he has been in some time here. Watch Levinson's The Bay instead.

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Post #: 44