Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum
Overall Rating: 90.0
As Steven Soderbergh begins his retirement, he leaves his fans and the movie world with one final mainstream film with an indie vibe with "Side Effects", and he leaves on a very good note.
Soderbergh has always been known as an actor's director, giving challenging dramatic roles that showcase dialogue and emotion over Hollywood fluff, and "Side Effects" shows us the Soderbergh that won him an Academy Award back in 2000 for "Traffic". It's sad to think that this will be the final feature film that Soderbergh makes, but it's also just as hard to believe he's truly done for good.
"Side Effects" shows the dark side of prescription drugs and focuses on the "prescribe rather than treat" mentality of a growing depressed population. Feeling blue? Pop a Zoloft. Need to concentrate? Try Adderall or a beta-blocker. It's a billion dollar industry that requires the doctors that we trust to work for the pharmaceutical companies to get rich off of our pain.
After her husband returns home from a 4-year jail stint for insider trading, Emily Taylor (Mara) finds herself growing more and more depressed as they try to put the pieces back together. She knows she must put on a strong face for him, but inside can't help but feel trapped in a dark cloud. After an intentional car accident, Emily finds herself under the care of Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law) who tries different anti-depressants to block out the sadness. When she tries a new drug, Ablixa, she suddenly feels on top of the world. The couple's sex drive is back, she's not sad anymore, and everything seems to be going well except for the fact that she sleepwalks.
After a tragic accident, the film shifts quite suddenly halfway through. While the first half of the film is a dramatic take on finding happiness, the second half quickly becomes quite the suspenseful thriller with twists and turns along the way. Despite a run time of 106 minutes, the film keeps you engaged throughout, making it seem like a much longer epic.
One of the primary ways we're kept engaged is through the brilliant performances of Rooney Mara and Jude Law. Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) stays with her bread-and-butter performance range of the dark, yet fragile woman who can change an entire scene with a simple stare. She commands the emotion of this broken down housewife with perfection. She constantly makes you feel empathy towards her struggle, yet fight to try to understand what she's going through.
Law on the other hand, plays multiple iterations of his same Dr. Banks. Without giving too much away, Law manages to take on the role of the caring doctor, paranoid conspiracy theorist, and conniving genius all in an hour and a half long movie, and play each part superbly.
Teaming up once again with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (Contagion), Soderbergh and Burns continue to tell deep, complex stories without having to explain too much. While the world of pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs to a non-user can seem complicated on the surface, Burns' words and Soderbergh's direction gently dip the audiences toes into the steaming waters below.
"Side Effects" is a dark, cautious tale wrapped up in a suspenseful thriller. It's a shame to see Soderbergh step away from the lens, but with as many quality films he's put out over the past 15+ years, he's earned some quiet time.
Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 9
Dialogue: 8
Acting: 10
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 7
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