With Mara and Tatum, Soderbergh creates fresh psychological chiller
Director Steven Soderbergh has made a name for himself as one of the most versatile directors of our time. From indie hits (“Sex, Lies and Videotapes”) to high-budget entertainment (“Contagion,” the “Ocean’s 11” series) to character studies (“Erin Brockovich,” “The Informant”), Soderbergh has proved he can do it all.
But recently, it’s been reported that Soderbergh’s latest film “Side Effects” may be his last, as he is considering retirement due to irritation with today’s motion picture system. And if Soderbergh is indeed retiring from cinema, at least he’s going out with style — a stylish take on the psychiatric-thriller genre, that is.
“Side Effects” is one of those thrillers where the less you know in advance, the more riveting the experience is. A potent, elegantly executed psychological thriller, the movie demands our attention and earns it with a series of twist and turns.
Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) plays depressive Manhattanite Emily Taylor, whose husband Martin (Channing Tatum) was convicted of insider trading following a stellar Wall Street career. However, Emily’s depression transcends into a string of suicide attempts, placing her into the care of ambitious psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law).
Banks prescribes an antidepressant called Ablixa, recommended by Emily’s former therapist Dr. Erica Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones). For the sake of not revealing too much, let’s just say the drug’s side effects set the plot in motion.
Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, a recent collaborator with Soderbergh, divides the story into two halves. The first half focuses solely on Emily’s reaction to the drug as commentary on our society’s dependence on pharmaceutical drugs, while it transitions into Alfred Hitchcock territory in the second half. Then, the film focuses on Banks proving his non-involvement, which leads to a series of twists. Some are brilliant, but others feel convoluted.
As usual with Soderbergh’s films, cinematography is everything. In an incredibly intimate manner, Soderbergh shoots the film to intensify the story’s ominousness. During the personal interactions, we see low angle shots depicting how each character has something to hide and is on the edge. Even the way Soderbergh sends his camera crawling down hallways hints at hidden intentions around every corner. I loved the opening zoom-in shot that established the film’s overall mood.
Both Soderbergh and Burns play the roles of rascally tricksters as they pile the twists and keep us thrilled, even among all of the commentary on psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry. Like most of his films (with the possible exception of the somber, serious-minded “Traffic”), “Side Effects” isn’t meant to be enlightening and thought-provoking, no matter how many times Soderbergh has crossed that line between art house and blockbuster. The movie was made to entertain, period.
Playing the depressed Emily gives Rooney an excellent first step out of the shadow of her role as Lisbeth Salander in “Dragon Tattoo,” a role that’s dangerously close to defining her career. In a performance that makes inexpressiveness look interesting, she has an oddly fascinating screen presence. What thoughts lie behind those blank eyes as Emily’s husband is released from prison?
Soderbergh fills the rest of the cast with veterans of his previous works. Both playing psychiatrists out to protect their own hides, Law (“Contagion”) and Zeta-Jones (“Traffic,” “Ocean’s Twelve”) are terrific.
As for Tatum (“Haywire,” “Magic Mike”), I’ll say it — I take back everything I have said about the guy. He has really grown as a performer, realizing he can be more than the hunk. Soderbergh may have had a hand in that, since Tatum has appeared in his three most recent theatrical films.
It’s a real shame Soderbergh is leaving, though a focus on television has been considered. But with more than 30 films and an Academy Award for best director, Soderbergh sure has made his mark in cinema.