Side Effects

[baumer]

Discuss

[mattmav45]

Well, if you're going to have an early retirement, you may as well go out with a beast of a film.

I've always found Soderbergh somewhat underwhelming, but this is simply a spectacular film. The camera angles and lighting are ideal for the Hitchcockian-style thriller at hand here, and Jude Law gives his best performance in years.

I wouldn't be surprised if this remains my top film of 2013 at the end of the year. Masterful stuff.

 

 

A

Edited February 10, 2013 by mattmav45

[Ezen Baklattan]

Yeah, this is really good stuff. Rooney Mara and June Law are at their finest.

[Gopher]

Very very strong film. Soderbergh is an expert craftsman, and only he could pull off so many twists and turns without compromising what becomes an unexpected character study and a gripping takedown of the pharmaceutical industry. He plays the audience like a fiddle. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of my favorites of 2013. 

[acsc1312]

Maybe my favorite soderbergh film, or at least up there. Mara and Law or great.A-

[Travod]

Seeing this tomorrow. From the comments above it seems to be that first movie of the year that people get excited about and start claiming best of the year and Oscar chances lalala and then everything in the rest of the year totally eclipses it and it's forgotten...

 

Anyway, glad to hear everyone likes it.

[Gopher]

I'm glad I saw this away from Oscar season. I don't need to observe the film to say Best This and Best That. It's just a damn good movie and that's all it has to be. 

[RichWS]

You guys have got me all excited.

[JackO]

Side Effects is the story of struggling young couple, Martin and Emily (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum). Martin has just gotten out of jail for insider trading while Emily struggles to adapt with her new reality. As she gets more and more depressed, she seeks help from a doctor, Johnathan Banks, (Jude Law) who prescribes her some prescription medication. The doctor seeks assistance on her case from her former doctor, Elizabeth Seibert, (Catherine Zeta Jones) which only further serves to muddy the water.

 

The best part about this movie is that it has many layers. Side effects is not only the title or what happens when you take prescription medication, it is also the consequences of every decision you make. It is the ripple effect of your past meeting the present that determines your future. As long as you are ready for a slow burn, this film will lead you on a maze of consequences till finally you understand the truth of the end.

 

This film hits on plenty of themes, the major one is mental illness and the pharmaceutical industrial complex. There are always these ads with drugs telling you how your life is going to be great if you just take this drug or you listen to you friends recommendations about which drugs work, but none of them are perfect. They all have unintended consequences that cannot be swept under the rug. Heck, some of the drugs, like as shown and told in the movie are worse then the symptoms you were originally experiencing.

Then there is the economy theme. The 9/11 put options on airlines were brought up in a conversation between Banks and his wife as he faces his own consequences for continuing to see Emily at the behest of everyone. This is important since the publicity of an incident involving Emily caused him to lose a job and it also got that company rich. It is one the threads that get unpacked here. When someone loses there whole world, no drug can help them.

 

So, if you enjoyed Contagion, you will definitely enjoy this one. It is much more focused. You don't have to worry about the consequences of spreading and entire disease to the entire world, you only have to worry if your doctor is working in your best interest or if your patient is clear about their past or how to get a spiffy new pen!

[75Live]

It was an ok movie and if I didn't see almost the exact movie in Malice, I probably would have liked it more.Pretty predictable.Even with all that, it is well acted and made, and a decent movie.B-

[Ozymandias]

Good movie, but not epic or great IMO.

 

8.5/10

[The Movie Man]

Good Movie and Mara/Law are very good.

[Michael Gary Scott]

Great movie completely gripping. Law and Mara are fantastic. 4.5/5

[Vanilla]

This is the hands down the best film of 2013 as of now. Probably going to end up being in my top ten.

 

9/10

[Jake Gittes]

Thought Vinessa Shaw's character was fairly pointless and annoying, but otherwise dug the hell out of this movie. A great homage to Hitchcock and film noir filtered through Soderbergh's coldly beautiful aesthetic. It's also exceptional in terms of handling so many characters and subplots and going from what seems to be a character/psychological drama to a full-blown sly, twisty, almost sleazy (the lesbian subplot - immediately reminded me of Wild Things) thriller while commenting on the drug industry at the same time. It's all done with outstanding, seemingly effortless finesse. Mara continues to establish herself as one of the better young actresses and Law reminds everyone once again what a strong actor he is. Excellent movie.

[Cmasterclay]

I thought it was very well-shot, intense, and the performances, especially Law and Mara, are fantastic. The plot twists were a little too Primal Fear-esque for me, and I saw most of them coming.  The ending led to alot of suspension of disbelief.  Still, I really enjoyed it.

[baumer]

Completely surprised me and completely and thoroughly blew me away. This is the kind of movie that if released during Oscar season would and still should get a lot of consideration. Jude Law is terrific, Oscar worthy and the script is one twist after the next. Maybe in my old age I am not picking up on these things as much as the next guy but I didn't figure out the conspiracy angle until well into the film. Credit the film and Soderbergh for that.Easily my favourite film so far this year and will absolutely make my top 10 of 2013Interesting to note that many of the main actors, in fact all of them except Mara, are all alumni of Soderberg. Law (Contagion), Tatum (Haywire and Magic Mike) and Zeta Jones (Ocean's 12 I think). If I'm not mistaken there is even a poster for some kind of drug in the film and that is Julia Robert's face on it. He must be really well liked to have people want to work with him over and over.9/10

Edited March 14, 2013 by baumer

[acsc1312]

Zeta jones was also in traffic. I thought the whole cast was fantastic, as they blend very well will soderbergh's atmosphere

[baumer]

 

Zeta jones was also in traffic. I thought the whole cast was fantastic, as they blend very well will soderbergh's atmosphere

 Yep, thanks, forgot about Traffic, she was better in that than she was in Chicago.

[The Movie Man]

Completely surprised me and completely and thoroughly blew me away. This is the kind of movie that if released during Oscar season would and still should get a lot of consideration. Jude Law is terrific, Oscar worthy and the script is one twist after the next. Maybe in my old age I am not picking up on these things as much as the next guy but I didn't figure out the conspiracy angle until well into the film. Credit the film and Soderbergh for that.Easily my favourite film so far this year and will absolutely make my top 10 of 2013Interesting to note that many of the main actors, in fact all of them except Mara, are all alumni of Soderberg. Law (Contagion), Tatum (Haywire and Magic Mike) and Zeta Jones (Ocean's 12 I think). If I'm not mistaken there is even a poster for some kind of drug in the film and that is Julia Robert's face on it. He must be really well liked to have people want to work with him over and over.9/10

Think the reason, it was such a good sell job, I always thought that she was under control of the side effects of the medicine. Just look at the stabbing scene. She didn't give anything away and then just went back to bed. Which is Kindof of stupid as they were alone in apartment. So in a normal movie, she would have told him. This all was a fake job and I want back the life that you costed me. So now. You can die. Bye bye. Die.