Contagion - (September 9th, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $22,403,596
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $26,251,223
Gross Revenue: $28,351,223
Production Budget: $60 million
Director: Steven Soderbergh
When I first saw the trailer for Contagion, I had to appreciate the guts that it must have taken for Warner Bros. to release a film about a lethal virus in September, when fears about terrorism and biological warfare are usually heightened. Touchy subject matter aside, audiences were sure to be drawn in by the A-list ensemble cast, a number of whom have worked together before (Damon, Paltrow, and Law in 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley) and all of whom are no strangers to critical praise. With equally strong talent behind the camera, it was clear that Contagion was aiming to paint a very realistic picture concerning public health, as Steven Soderbergh has never been one to shy away from mature themes. Premiering at the 68th Venice Film Festival, early critical praise for Contagion was impressively high, and Warner Bros. made sure to use scare tactics in its marketing strategy in order to grab and hold widespread attention. By no means am I a hypochondriac or someone who has an irrational fear of germs, but I was nevertheless fully preparing myself to walk out of Contagion with a newfound appreciation for soap and hand-sanitizer.
Following several different interacting plot lines set against a global pandemic, Contagion begins with Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returning from a business trip to Hong Kong and suddenly collapsing and dying from an unidentified disease. Beth’s husband, Mitch (Matt Damon), is placed in quarantine isolation after his stepson also dies after exhibiting symptoms similar to those his mother experienced shortly before her death. In Atlanta, Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention works with Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) to identify this virus that has been rapidly spreading and many believe to be a bioweapon. When it is concluded that the fast-moving and lethal pandemic could only have originated in Hong Kong, the World Health Organization dispatches Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) to find the cause of the mutating disease so that a vaccination might be synthesized. Meanwhile, conspiracy-theorist Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) has been spreading fear over the internet by claiming that he has discovered a true cure and that any government treatment should be considered dangerous and ineffective. With millions dying from the highly-contagious virus, true panic spreads and society begins to unravel, with survival instincts now overriding any sense of order or responsibility.
Director Steven Soderbergh goes out of his way to present a realistic interpretation of how a global pandemic would unfold, and the end result is truly haunting. It may not have been billed as a horror film, but make no mistake about it, Contagion is scary, with the intelligent dialogue and stylish pacing making such a disaster very believable. If you want proof, just consider that when I was in the theater, the guy a few seats over from me started coughing about thirty minutes before the film was over, and you could feel the tension rise among the moviegoers…that’s a sign of impressive storytelling on a number of different levels. As expected, each member of the cast delivered an impactful performance, my personal favorites being Matt Damon as a father struggling to recover from personal tragedy while endearingly protecting what remains of his family, and Kate Winslet as the government doctor rapidly trying to solve a mystery with an admirable level of tenacity and self-sacrifice. Stylish directing and acting aside, Contagion also tells its story unique way which, though slightly imperfect, still heightened the overall experience.
There are parts where the different main characters interact with each other, but by-and-large, each of the story lines remains independent, and by seamlessly switching between the different characters, the narrative is kept fresh and exciting. Such a unique form of storytelling could easily have been confusing, especially with the understandably complicated medical jargon that would follow such a pandemic, but the film is able to pull it off. If I were to lodge one complaint, it would be that the script generated far more questions than it ultimately answered, leaving a number of the story lines incomplete or unresolved. When the end credits began to roll, it was very clear that the audience was disappointed in the abrupt ending and would have liked to seen more from the different characters…you can look at that as an example of an incomplete film or an indication of just how invested the audience became in Contagion. In the end, with such a surprisingly strong entry hitting during the characteristically slow month of September, this thriller was clearly going to be successful in a number of ways.
From a box office perspective, the most prevalent of Contagion’s achievements involves the fact that it was finally able to dethrone The Help from its three week reign as theater champion. I expected Warrior to provide some significant competition, but I doubt that anyone was surprised when Bucky Larson failed miserably. With over $22 million in tickets sales over its opening weekend, Contagion performed in sync with analyst predictions, and with an expanded international release hitting in October and positive word of mouth, Warner Bros. should have little trouble recovering the $60 million production budget. I don’t know if Straw Dogs or The Lion King in 3D will be able to topple Contagion this weekend, but I do expect more moviegoers to venture out after the somber 9/11 commemorations from last week. I cannot promise that you will enjoy Contagion on the same level that I did, but I guarantee that you will be a little more hesitant to shake hands or share a drink the next time you go out…enjoy.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
