A sobering look at what could actually happen to us should a new virus decide to strike unannounced, Contagion doesn't pull any punches, and delivers a tightly written story populated by a slew of very capable actors, none of them seeking top billing above the other. Talk about an ensemble cast.
What is Contagion About (As If the title Didn't Tell You)
It is Day 1, and an American business woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) on a business trip to Hong Kong heads home to Minnesota by way of Chicago to visit an ex-boyfriend for a quick fling. Before long, she starts to exhibit symptoms of a flu-like disease which soon spreads to her son who is sent home from school with fever.
Meanwhile, various strangers living in Hong Kong start dying of similar symptoms, all of them seemingly interconnected by one place or specific time putting them into direct contact with the American.
Soon, others she encountered along the way (on the plane, at the airport, etc.) start getting sick, and an epidemic slowly becomes a pandemic. Teams of researchers from the Center for Disease Control start investigating the source of this lethal virus, and work hard to try and stop it. Can they find a cure in time to save millions of people around the globe? Can they manage to save their loved ones before the very fabric of society comes undone?
Contagion a Plausible, Captivating Drama
The film works exceptionally well, thanks to its gifted cast, none of whom appear to take the subject matter lightly. Matt Damon shows a paternal side as the widower whose wife first died from the disease, and who is now trying to protect his daughter at all costs. Laurence Fishburne, fresh off his two-year stint on CSI: Las Vegas carries dramatic heft as the lead bureaucrat within the CDC who tries to hinder the virus' progress with the help of his team members (Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Ehle) who are working all over the globe.
I could run off a continuing list of other actors who contributed to this film (Elliott Gould, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, John Hawkes, Enrico Colantoni, Demetri Martin), none of which could take away from this being another excellent piece by Soderbergh, who's had a pretty good track record these last several years. By adding this scientifically heavy drama to his pedigree, he only proves his mettle by having dabbled in so many genres, all of them successfully.
I particularly enjoyed how the film presented hysteria and internet hype as its own type of virus morally infecting people into paranoid aversion to everyday things, simply based on unfounded rumors. You can't get any more topical than that in this day and age.
Contagion Bonus Features
As you'd probably expect, given the subject matter, most of the extras on the blu-ray explore the real-life possibilities of such a scenario, and whether we'd be ready for such an eventuality. Also, for those who may find a lot of the health sciences jargon a bit, well, jarring, one of the extras include a brief, slightly humorous graph presentation of what essentially takes place during this film. Nowhere as entertaining as the real thing, but effective nonetheless.
The Final Word on Contagion
I don't know too many other ways to say this, folks: watch this film. Think of it as a different version of the 1990s film Outbreak, except with less of Dustin Hoffman running around and huffing overblown lines to his co-stars.
If you find yourself incredibly self-conscious about just how many times you've touched your face while reading this review, don't worry. Your immune system's there to help you.
But go wash your hands, just in case, OK?
Contagion: 4 out of 5
Dominic Messier - Dominic Messier is a Toronto-based Film & TV writer, Sci-Fi TV and Film Dramas Topic Editor, and creator of PopCultureLandscape.com
