It might seem odd to look to a movie about a global pandemic for entertainment purposes now that we’ve lived through one. However, Contagion provides enough twists and turns to provide real surprises.
As Contagion opens, we see Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) traveling back to the U.S. from Hong Kong. She’s looking a little under-the-weather. We are then introduced to a number of characters in various locations across the globe who look similarly ill. Each of them comes into contact with family members, friends, and complete strangers. Sometimes the camera lingers over the things they touch after a coughing fit.
When Beth gets home to her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon) and son, she collapses and is rushed to the hospital. She seizes and then dies. The doctors are at a loss to explain what caused her sudden death but note that since she was traveling, she may have picked up something. When Mitch returns home from the hospital, he finds that his son too has passed away. Mitch is isolated and found to be naturally immune. However, more people around the world are exhibiting the same symptoms as Beth. Death tolls are beginning to rise. The CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) launch investigations into what this virus is and where it came from. Unfortunately, that means it may be quite a while before a vaccine can be created.
Blogger Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) begins trumpeting conspiracy theories about the virus. He accuses the CDC and the federal government of hiding the truth about the virus so the stock market can profit from it. He amasses an audience who also believe his homeopathic cures are as effective as an actual vaccine. People become confused and don’t know who to believe or what to do. Society begins to break down as the world waits for a cure.
Director Steven Soderbergh and scriptwriter Scott Z. Burns have constructed a sprawling look at the global implications of a pandemic. They also provide several personal stories to humanize the science and statistics. Contagion‘s pace is sometimes unforgiving. If you miss one of title cards that lets the audience know how much time has passed, you may find yourself a bit lost. But the frenetic pace underlines the fact that in a pandemic — without quick decision-making and action — it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation. (Unfortunately, that’s something we’re all too familiar with now.)
The cast consists of a multitude of recognizable faces including Kate Winslet, Elliott Gould, Bryan Cranston, Sanaa Lathan, Marion Cotillard, and Jennifer Ehle, among others. All of them contribute excellent — if sometimes quite brief — performances.
When Contagion was made over a decade ago, the thought that a global pandemic would occur seemed like fantasy. Watching it now had me acknowledging how many details the film got right. It might seem odd to look to a movie about a global pandemic for entertainment purposes now that we’ve lived through one. However, Contagion provides enough twists and turns to provide real surprises. It’s also refreshing that the film respects science and the scientific method. If only reality were the same way.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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