"Contagion" is not normally the sort of film I watch. However, my uncle was visiting and he LOVES Robin Cook novels--and a film like "Contagion" is right up that alley. So, I sat back and watched and moderately enjoyed the film.

The film concerns an outbreak that is akin to the Black Plague of old. Folks start dying everywhere and there appears to be nothing to stop it wiping out the entire planet. Much of the film concerns the government's work to arrest the outbreak but some is about the effects on social order--and a breakdown of civility and law BEGINS to occur in the film. This aspect of the film was by far the most interesting to me. Oddly, however, this plot line seemed to disappear very quickly and the film did little to exploit this interesting plot. Instead, the film focused on more conventional plot elements and while it IS a good film, it seems to have missed out on the much more interesting aspect of such a global catastrophe. Worth seeing but I wished it had focused much more on the dark side of human nature, as it's bound to expose itself in spades if such a disaster would ever strike.

I heard much about Contagion and having loved Traffic and Oceans Eleven and also the concept, I was really intrigued into seeing it. And I was very impressed. Okay, Contagion's drama and tension levels are not quite as effective as those of Traffic, and some scenes could have done with more conflict.

However, it is not devoid of any of those things, and there are some shocking and suspenseful moments to savour as well. As you would expect from Soderbergh, Contagion is a slickly made film, with an intelligent and taut script, efficient directing and a well paced and interesting if sometimes wordy story.

And I can't not mention the cast. Of an exemplary cast, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Ehle, Bryan Cranston and Kate Winslet are solid, and Jude Law in an unlikely role is much better than expected. Elliot Gould's cameo is nicely understated, and Laurence Fishburne and Marion Cotilard are as usual very good. Matt Damon was the standout for me, and one of the highlights of the film.

Overall, excellent, while not either among the best or worst of the year, it was one of the most interesting. 8/10 Bethany Cox

CONTAGION is the latest addition to the cinematic sub-genre of 'virus' films detailing world populations suffering from various epidemics. Other favourites over the years have included the Dustin Hoffman film OUTBREAK and the Japanese epic VIRUS. This one takes a pleasingly global tone in its look at the rapid spread of a virus with devastating consequences, but the problem with it lies in Steven Soderbergh's direction.

I'm just not a fan of Soderbergh and I never have been. This guy seems to be like anti-cinema to me; his camera-work always seems obvious, and it's as if his direction is constantly obtrusive, when in fact it should be unnoticeable. His attempt to direct a martial arts film, HAYWIRE, was pretty pathetic, and his direction was the worst thing about the otherwise involving CHE two-parter.

CONTAGION is thus a frequently dizzying viewing experience in which a vast tableau of characters are involved with the epidemic in various ways. I was delighted when it turned out that Gwyneth Paltrow had very little screen time, but there are so many main characters in this that nobody really registers. Epidemic films should be thrilling and suspenseful, but CONTAGION never is; it does have a level of gritty realism going for it, but it's a film that it's hard to get excited about because it's just so ordinary.