Side Effects
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum.
Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language.
Steven Soderbergh is one of favorite filmmakers. He has a diverse range of films including The Ocean's Trilogy, Traffic, The Informant, Contagion, Haywire, and Erin Brockovich. Though he is a genre-jumping director, he always puts his signature on each film with his unique camera work, subtle music, and terrific performances from his actors. Sadly, Soderbergh has stated that Side Effects will be his final theatrical film so that he can focus on his other passions. Hopefully he is just crying wolf, but if he's for real then he picked a hell of a film to end his career on.
Side Effects is best categorized as a mystery with some thriller-like aspects. Rooney Mara plays Emily. She has been waiting four years for her husband (Channing Tatum) to get out of prison after serving time for insider trading. Though she is happy that he is home, she battles depression and tries to kill herself in her car. She is hospitalized and starts seeing a therapist, Dr. Banks (Jude Law). Banks is genuinely concerned for her and comes across as a competent professional. He prescribes her anti-depressants, but none of them seem to work. He soon consults with Emily's previous therapist, Dr. Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and learns of a new revolutionary drug. He then prescribes the drug to Emily, and at first it seems to be working miracles, but then the side effects start taking place. Soon everyone and everything about the drug comes into question with some shocking twists and turns.
Rooney Mara proved her acting chops in the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and here she continues to prove that she is a gifted actress. Jude Law is excellent as Dr. Banks. This may be Law's best performance to date. He carries the film and is genuine in every scene he's in. Tatum and Zeta-Jones also provide great supporting roles in an magnificent film from a legendary director. The film is rated "R" and while it isn't over-the-top like many "R" rated films are these days, it definitely deserves its rating with a scene of sexuality, some sudden violence, and scattered profanity. If you can handle that, then I highly recommend this film. One of my favorites of the year. Farewell, Soderbergh. I do hope you return.
RATING: A
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