This is the most un-sensational epidemic movie I've ever seen, and that's a compliment. It is so grounded in reality, so meticulous with it's scientific detail, that it steps ahead of the vast majority of other entries into it's genre. This could happen tomorrow.
Director Steven Soderbergh uses vast, multi-character plot lines to portray many different aspects of a pandemic, from scientists racing to identify the virus, trace it's origin, and create a vaccine; to panic stricken people doing whatever they can (even if they shouldn't) to survive; to an average American family devastated by quick, unexpected loss; to conspiracy theorists who see the whole thing as a profiteering scheme by pharmaceutical companies. Unlike many multi-character plots I've seen, every thread here works, and contributes to the greater whole of the story as well as having many thought provoking, subtle and not so subtle meanings hidden underneath.
The methods Soderbergh uses to follow the virus are ingenious in their simplicity. Never before while watching a movie have I been so aware of what people are touching. And where. And how often. And just how dire the consequences of a simple thing like a friendly handshake could be. I should note that if you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller you should look elsewhere; this is not that movie, there are very few actual "thrills" here. But if you're searching for a well thought out, sober drama deeply exploring the implications of a global horror that will leave you with lingering concerns long after you finish watching, here you have your grim, unsettling, wonderful reward.
No comments:
Post a Comment