• Movies

by Dr Chris on 09.27.11

Contagion, a new film directed by Steven Soderbergh (Oceans 11, 12 and 13), about a super flu that breaks out and decimates the population to the tune of 2.5 million people dead across the planet, has most of the movie centered around the CDC, particularly Dr. Erin Mears, who is played by Kate Winslet (The Reader) and Dr. Ellis Cheever, played by Laurence Fishburne (CSI, The Matrix trilogy), who have to stop the disease, and the ensuing panic, from destroying the world as well as having to deal with a conspiracy con artist Alan Krumwiede, played by Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes) from exposing truths and half truth to further his own agenda. On the civilian side of the story, you have Beth Emhoff, played by Gwyneth Paltrow ( Iron Man 1 and 2), who happens to be one of the catalyst for the virus, and her husband, Mitch Emhoff, played by Matt Damon (the Bourne trilogy). Filling out the civilian roles is a janitor for the CDC, Roger, played by John Hawkes (Eastbound and Down), who is unsure and worried his family will not get the cure as he is not a top official.

This theme of power over poverty is heavy in Contagion as people who don't have money or resources are worried they won’t receive the cure if one if developed. Damon's character just wants to keep what's left of his family alive after losing half of during the beginning the film. Fishburne's character must also deal with higher government officials breathing down his neck to get a cure made for the virus as soon as possible. Damon and his daughter are discovered to be immune to the virus as they never develop symptoms or get sick. However, the CDC lets him go as they can't manufacture a cure from his blood either. This invoked memories in me of another virus outbreak world killing story - Stephen King’s The Stand. In that book, the Captain Trips virus (created by the government), infects every one. One of the first people to come in contact with the infected is Stu Redman, however he is immune. The government holds him hostage until the world is dead. In Contagion, Winslet’s character lets Damon go after she breaks the news to him his wife cheated on him during a layover in Chicago. The dialog in the film can be stretched a bit thin and dumbfounded; they really make sure you keep up with everything that is going on even to the point you almost feel stupid at times and are being talked down to.

The amount of terror and gross out deaths with vomiting and disgusting dead bodies built up in this movie is not as much as you think it would be. There is some, but for a movie that makes you think you should wash your hands after touching ANYTHING AND EVEYONE, I kind of expected more. One thing did get to me though; while in the theater watching Contagion, four people around me were coughing and one guy in front of me kept touching his face - it made me wig out tremendously. For a movie to make you squirm every time you cough, it does a good job of having that effect on you that no Halloween or Nightmare on Elm St. film ever could. They make a joke in the movie about how Jaws made people not want to go into the water ever again, and a super swine flu virus, which, in the movie, is explained as a bat from China ate contaminated food dropped it, a pig ate it and then the pig was cooked up, and eaten by humans.

Contagion goes through the roller coaster of what the CDC went thru back in the spring of 2009 when Swine flu first broke out and we all went into a panic. It evokes memories of the bafflement and the sense of outrage and helplessness that greeted the H.I.V virus back in the early 1980s when it was unknown and is still killing people today. Lots of messages can be taken from this film, it just depends on your personal mindset while watching it. It's worth viewing and will make you leave the theater thinking. For any movie to do that, it's the work of a great thriller that paid very close attention to every detail of the film. Contagion is defintely a can't miss film.