Movie Review: Contagion…best not to come in contact with it

Its been a long hiatus from the halls and I was hoping that once it was finally over, the movie I’d have watched would have been worth the wait. Alas, I can’t say that for Contagion, not in the least.

If you are really curious, watch the trailer and leave it at that. When I saw the trailer this one was instantly notched up as one of the ‘must-watch’ movies this season. I wish I could sound less disappointed than I do, because the plot definitely had potential. It could’ve been so much more, with such a ‘killer’ (quite literally) concept and storyline. In fact, it ought to be so compelling that your first instinct, once you come home ought to be that you wash your hands. But, it isn’t..far from it.

I wish I could go, scene by scene on where all it went wrong, but that would give the story away so I'll have to with a generic description: Where there ought to have been a journey from the origin of the ‘problem’ to its rampant spread like wildfire, the slowly increasing tension, the smooth pacing culminating in widespread panic, frenetic public, absolute mayhem etc., what you get is a near-documentary, which just seems dull and tired. Only in the second half do things look more like the grim, desolate and desperate canvas the movie ought to be painted on but by then, you’ve already lost interest and are just waiting for the credits to roll in. The background score is such a misfit that you could be watching another movie altogether for all you know. Don’t go by the impressive cast of characters either. Each and every one of them is thoroughly wasted in the movie, save for maybe Lawrence Fishburne and Jude Law. For the record though, it also has Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard and Gwyneth Paltrow..go figure!!

I wish there was something I could praise about the movie (other than the concept) because I am quite a fan of the Ocean series, brought to us by the same director. But a movie like Contagion just doesn’t seem up his alley. I’d rather this kind of a movie was directed by the kinds of Roland Emmerich who may over-use CGI but at least is able to give a good pacing and direction to such epic disaster movies

So, the drought continues…With movies like Bodyguard, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan being the current offerings…its going to be a long wait to watch a worthwhile movie this season…though I’ve heard good things about Devil’s Double and Bol is seen to have potential. Still, its a poor season for the average cinegoer..