Contagion DVD Review


Contagion DVDTitle: Contagion
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: Steve Soderbergh
Length: 106 minutes
Certificate: 15

As a deadly airborne virus rapidly spreads across the world people panic and society breaks down. Only 1 in 12 is immune, whilst the rest of the population are doomed to die. It’s up to ordinary doctors and researchers to come up with an antidote to the virus.

Contagion is an all-star disaster movie with intelligence. Unlike the epic disaster movies that we are so often force-fed, with explosions and bombast, Contagion is a disaster movie with brains and a cast not only of stars, but high calibre actors who know how to make a character and a film feel real. The disease is also very plausible, adding an extra element of realism.

The original screenplay, written by Scott Burns, has been ably adapted by Director and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh to work well on the big screen. Soderbergh does a fine job, as always, in making this film look and feel as realistic as possible, so much so that, without this being a horror movie such as the likes of 28 Days Later, it is still genuinely frightening.

The impressive cast (apart from Jude Law – why is he using some sort of poor imitation of an Australian accent?) allow the film to feel more real than most. Kate Winslet and Matt Damon produce the standout performances.

At times it lacks emotion but it remains realistic throughout and never feels as though it is treating its audience as popcorn-munching teen cinema-goers, but intellectual movie watchers who want to be entertained but also intrigued.

The pacing is taut throughout and the tension is maintained. It isn’t the sort of film where everyone is going to survive and it’s refreshing to see A-list films stars killed off without remorse or in order of their billing.

Author : Kevin Stanley