Monday, 1 April 2013

Side Effects (2013, Dir. Steven Soderbergh, USA) (Cert: 15) ***



 
Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones
 

A long-time sufferer of depression, Emily Taylor (Mara) is referred onto psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law) following what appears to be a potential suicide attempt, shortly after Emily’s boyfriend (Channing Tatum) has been freed from prison. At the advice of Emily’s former psychiatrist (Zeta-Jones), Dr. Banks prescribes Emily to a new anti-depressant, Ablixa; however, Emily starts to display strange symptoms owing to the the medication. Not only sleep-walking, but some far more serious.

 

Intended as the final feature film for veteran film-maker Steven Soderbergh (best known for Sex, Lies And Videotape (1989) and Ocean’s 11 (2001)), Side Effects is not really enough of a masterpiece to serve as a grand finale, but it is a competent, provocative and intriguing thriller. Like a lot of thrillers of this nature, the story does become rather too convoluted and in its attempts to weave an interesting, complex story there are a couple of minor holes in the plot in terms of realism. However, the film is well-handled with an interesting character in Rooney Mara’s Emily Taylor and some interesting yet under-stated imagery.

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