Review: Contagion is appropriately infectious

The horror genre tends to have only the most tenuous connections to reality.  Scares generally take root in the supernatural hijinks or supremely twisted individuals acting on the darkest elements of their nature.  Such fare is the stuff of nightmares, to be sure, but there’s a comfort to be had in how unreal it all is.  Walking down a dark stairwell or an empty alley is an easier affair when you can remind yourself that the cinematic monster haunting your thoughts is the stuff of imagination and therefore not any sort of actual threat.

The same can’t be said for Stephen Soderbergh’s riveting real-world horror story, Contagion.   There’s little disconnect between the horrors of the film and the possibilities of our world, where everyone is far more closely connected than we might (want to) realize.  There are no cheap scares to be had here.  Contagion finds its chills in the very real threat of a deadly epidemic that finds its genesis in a simple – and brilliantly presented – way.  From the film’s intensely edited opening moments, the danger of a world where everything we touch has been touched a million times before is a heavy, inescapable presence.  The awareness wrought by the film is perhaps even more ironically effective seeing the film in a theater full of strangers who may or may not have washed their hands after taking a pre-movie dump and brazenly opening the theater door.

Tackling a worldwide epidemic, Contagion obviously has a lot of (literal) ground to cover.  Storylines unfold in various cities and villages all over the world, with some characters dying within minutes of being introduced.  It’s an epic undertaking, the kind that often feels unfocused, thin, or too coincidental to maintain any narrative heft or momentum, but thankfully, such is not the case here.  Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns performs a marvelous tight-rope walk, managing to create characters we come to know and care about, while also managing to keep all of the many plates spinning along at a healthy pace.  It’s an impressive feat of storytelling in a movie where you wouldn’t expect to find an involving story.  It’s refreshing for a horror tale to involve actual human beings in situations we can theoretically relate to instead of pretty bags of meat being sliced and diced for the thrill of seeing their pretty blood all over the place.

Lots of characters means lots of actors, and this is the sort of star-studded affair that usually spells doom by distraction.  Of course, this is an obscenely talented ensemble rather than the weird grab bag other movies brag about (seriously, who the fuck cares that Bon Jovi is in New Year’s Eve?).  Having so many powerhouse actors sharing the screen is perhaps even more precarious than a bunch of B-list TV stars and singers, but Contagion makes the most of its cast, with Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, and Jude Law making the biggest impressions.

It’s great to see Winslet onscreen again, Contagion marking her first appearance on the big screen since 2008 (though she wowed the TV world with her likely-Emmy-winning turn in HBO’s Mildred Pierce).  Winslet’s Dr. Erin Mears is a warrior against the virus, working in the field at the risk of catching it herself, and her tough courage and genuine concern make for another great – if less flashy – character for one of the world’s most talented actresses.

Law plays a crusader of a different sort as the film’s most ambiguous and entertaining character, a renegade blogger trying to expose the government’s inner workings while also turning a profit for himself.  Law’s character is a divisive self-appointed Messiah, as demonstrated by the posters that litter the apocalyptic landscape featuring his face in double above the words “PROPHET” and “PROFIT,” a brilliant bit of set decoration.

Damon is the movie’s emotional epicenter as the husband of the virus’s first victim (Gwyneth Paltrow).  Damon delivers a stirring and touching performance similar to his turn in the under-rated Hereafter.  He’s at his best in roles like this.  I'll take concerned father Damon over highly-trained super spy Damon anytime.

The rest of the cast performs admirably and features some surprising names that didn’t get the advertising boost of the more “prestigious” stars.  I was delighted to see Demetri Martin and Bryan Cranston, specifically, though neither has too hefty a role, and Martin is decidedly serious.

Not that one would expect Contagion to feature moments of levity.  Despite its relentlessly somber tone and many moments of horror, Contagion never feels like a drag or too long a sit.  Soderbergh, with such direction and a firm grip on the story he’s telling, makes every moment count.  While the virus is the impetus for the events of the film, Contagion is – through and through – a human story.  It is ultimately about the lengths we’ll go to to protect the people we love.  It’s a sad kind of hope peeking through the gloom and doom of a diseased world, but it’s also a beautiful hope.