Rated
R (Sexuality, Nudity, Violence and Language)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 46 Minutes
Cast-
Rooney
Mara-Emily Taylor
Jude
Law-Dr. Jonathan Banks
Catherine
Zeta-Jones-Dr. Victoria Siebert
Channing
Tatum-Martin Taylor
Vinessa
Shaw-Dierdre Banks
Ann
Dowd-Martin's Mother
Polly
Draper-Emily's Boss
Michael
Nathanson-Assistant District Attorney
Sheila
Tapia-Emily's Attorney
Directed
by Steven Soderbergh
 |
| Rooney Mara delivers an excellent performance as a young woman suffering from depression in Steven Soderbergh's "Side Effects." |
Note: Screened on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.
During
the premiere for "Side Effects" (which took place this past Thursday
at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13), director Steven Soderbergh made a few opening
remarks, thanking Open Road Films and Endgame Entertainment for financing and
distributing his film as well as praising writer Scott Z. Burns for an amazing
script but there was one little detail he neglected to mention: his retirement
(or was it sabbatical?). "Side Effects" will be Soderbergh's last theatrical release as he is
retiring at age fifty to focus on other creative pursuits, such as painting.
For those of us who've followed his career for the past twenty-four years, this
is no doubt disappointing news but Soderbergh does still plan to direct, mainly
'theater stuff, and…a TV series if something great were to come along.' As for
his reasons for quitting Hollywood, he explains in an interview with Vulture
(which you can read here in its entirety)
of 'wanting a change personally' and hitting a creative wall he's unable to
break through but more importantly, he's grown frustrated with the filmmaking
process where it's all about pandering to the audience. One of the reasons why
I'm such a fan of Soderbergh's work is that he's not afraid to experiment,
audience reaction be damned. That's refreshing since Hollywood is increasingly
risk-adverse nowadays but as much as people like us complain, there are still
millions out there who are content with lapping up whatever garbage is put in
front of them. It's disheartening to see "Side Effects" dumped in the
middle of February with little fanfare as Soderbergh deserves a much better
send-off. This is by far the first legitimately good movie of 2013, a
mind-bending psychosexual drama/thriller of Hitchcock proportions that not only
boasts excellent performances from its all-star cast but also a brilliantly
written script that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Emily Taylor
(Rooney Mara), a graphic designer living in Manhattan, is finally reuniting
with her husband Martin (Channing Tatum), who was sent to prison after being
convicted for insider trading. His release instills a feeling of excitement and
dread within Emily, who has struggled with depression on and off for as long as
she can remember. Martin is eager to return to the corporate world and resume
his life but his wife's anxiety disorder soon flares up during a spontaneous
suicide attempt where Emily drives her car into a wall. She begins seeing a
psychiatrist named Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), who prescribes her an
experimental anti-depression drug called 'Ablixa' after consulting with Dr.
Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Emily's former psychiatrist. Soon
after taking the drug, Emily awakens one day to find a dead body in her
apartment. Questions begin to arise over Ablixa's side effects while Banks'
personal and professional life is turned upside down as he finds himself under
investigation.
"Side Effects" is one heck of a film, a post-modern
thriller in the vein of Hitchcock that not only encompasses a variety of genres
but also serves as a showcase of Soderbergh's versatility as a director. The
short synopsis I've written doesn't even begin to touch on what the film is
about and it's highly recommended that you avoid all the previews so that you
can go in blind without any preconceived notions. Soderbergh opens the film by
slowly panning toward a Manhattan apartment, taking us inside as the camera
tracks a trail of blood on the floor. It then flashbacks to three months
earlier as Rooney Mara's Emily visits her husband Martin in prison for the last
time. Martin is about to be released and understandably, Emily is feeling
anxious after he was away for so long. However, her anxiety soon amplifies to
the point where she tries to commit suicide by driving into the wall of her
parking garage. For the first twenty or so minutes, "Side Effects"
appears to be a character drama as it focuses on Emily's struggle with her
depression and her desperation to get better. A shocking event happens and the
film then switches gears, turning into a courtroom drama as questions start to
arise over the drug Emily has been taking and the pharmaceutical industry
coming under fire. Dr. Jonathan Banks, the psychiatrist treating Emily, finds
himself under investigation and it would seem that Soderbergh and Burns are
criticizing the pharmaceutical industry for their lack of ethics and personal
responsibility. Like any good thriller, these are simply red herrings as the
story slowly leverages Banks as the true protagonist of the film. It becomes a
whodunit procedural, complete with a labyrinth-like maze of twists and turns
where you're never entirely sure of a character's true motivations. "Side
Effects" closes with a very pessimistic view of the human condition and it
is this sobering truth that lies at the heart of the film. If all that sounds
very vague; trust me, it's for your own good. Not many people would describe a
dialogue-heavy film like this as 'exciting' yet Soderbergh manages to create a
completely engrossing feature through his stylistic choices, utilizing the same
lurid visuals that dominated 2011's "Contagion" to not only add another
layer of intrigue but also reinforce the story's clinical tone. Dialogue scenes
are cut in such a way where each frame doesn't last longer than a second and
there's an escalating sense of unease when combined with Thomas Newman's
haunting electronic score.
Then there's the cast that Soderbergh has assembled,
with Rooney Mara delivering a captivating performance as a young woman
suffering from depression but there are so many layers to her character,
requiring the actress to convey a variety of emotions yet still convincingly
appear to be the same person that we met in the beginning. Jude Law is
currently on a roll after his sympathetic portrayal of Alexei Karenin in last
year's "Anna Karenina." Here, he plays a psychiatrist who genuinely wants
to help his patients but is not above using them as guinea pigs if it means a
big payout for him. Law is just compelling in the role, especially in the
latter half when he finds his name being dragged through the mud. Channing
Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones have supporting roles but they are no less
integral to the story. How integral is something I leave for you to discover.
To be released on February 8, 2013, "Side Effects" has been receiving
a lot of positive buzz lately and it currently has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The response at the film's premiere was nothing short of enthusiastic but this
one will sadly be a mid-level hit at best. The problem is that the previews
have been intentionally vague and audiences, they don't like to be 'lied' to.
They want to know exactly what kind of film they're seeing and expect that same film as advertised. Studios are all
too happy to oblige but it's terrible when it results in a great director like
Soderbergh quitting. Hopefully, he'll change his mind, although that won't be
happening anytime soon. With that being said, "Side Effects" is a
thoroughly mesmerizing film from start to finish, an adult thriller that is
rarely made anymore and serves as a perfect way to cap off the career of one of
Hollywood's most talented directors.
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
"The point is…the cardiologist could see it coming from the tests. It's in the blood. But who can see the lies?"
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