Review: 'Contagion' Can't Cure The Boring Factor

By Michael Lopez

Director Steven Soderbergh knows how to weave an intricate tale. Back in 2000 he gave us his take on the drug trade in Traffic and now, 11 years later, he's offering a similar all-star exploration into the world of pandemic diseases. But somehow Contagion feels far less entertaining and, at times, can be rather depressing.

It's probably unfair to call Contagion a "downer" movie because its message is significant and (with all of the recent cholera and H1N1 outbreaks) very timely. Its script was obviously compelling enough to catch the attention of Hollywood's A-list, who recently told us they were hooked from page one.

Playing out as an ensemble piece, Contagion follows the lives of roughly four main characters. There's Mitch (Matt Damon), the "everyman" whose family is impacted by the disease, Dr. Cheever (Laurence Fishburne), the M.D. fighting to find a cure, Alan (Jude Law), the blogger who spreads fear and paranoia on his site, and Dr. Orantes (Marion Cotillard), a researcher tracing the outbreak's origin.

Each person's storyline reflects a different perspective of the pandemic and a host of other stars (Kate Winslet, Jennifer Ehle, Gwyneth Paltrow) make cameos within each vignette. And though it's fun playing "spot the celeb," their roles can't seem to save the film's drab undertones.

Sadly, with all that talent Contagion still feels like a drag. It's clear that Soderbergh went for the "slow burn" effect with the way he shot the movie. And though his style definitely adds a bit of realism to the situation, it lacks excitement (and makes those 110 minutes in the theater seem way too long).

Ultimately Steven does try to throw in one final punch with a twist ending about the disease's origin, but it winds up being too little too late. Contagion tries very hard to justify itself as an "important" film, which it may very well be. But it hasn't quite found the cure for the boring movie blues.

Bottom line: It's hard to figure out what an audience member should take away from this film. Is it designed to make you more aware of pandemic diseases? Is it going for horror movie scares? Or is it just trying to boost the sales of Purell anti-germ bottles? All we can say for sure is, Contagion won't leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling when you leave the theater.

Did you watch Contagion this past weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Contagion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, MAtt Damon, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás, Steven Soderbergh