Side Effects

Word on the internet is that Side Effects will mark Steven Soderbergh's final time behind the camera. And if this is true, it's a shame. Not because he's choosing to retire. Soderbergh has created a well rounded, acclaimed body of work and if he wants to retire to focus on other interests or roll around in his piles of money, then good for him. It's a shame because Side Effects is just so underwhelming. I'm not saying it's a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I truly wanted Soderbergh to go out on top and this just didn't do it for me. It's being sold as a taut thriller with twists and turns. Well, for anyone who has ever seen a movie or a really good TV show, for that matter, the twists and turns are evitable and predictable. Plus, any sort of thrilling feeling this movie delivers is all but ruined by a convaluted mess of an ending.

Side Effects is the story of Emily (Rooney Mara). She is just a young bartender in New York City when she meets a charming young man (Channing Tatum) who, I guess, works on Wall Street. Soon, she has everything she has ever wanted - the house in Connecticut, the fancy cars, the beautiful clothes, the money, a yacht. Her life is like a dream... until her perfect husband gets arrested for insider training and sentenced to four years in prison. Upon his release, Emily is thrown into a world of deep depression, cries for help, and suicide attempts. After she rams her car into a concrete wall, she begins to see a shrink (Jude Law) who helps her with a combination of therapy and pills. But, these pills have ever increasing side effects and, well, that's all I can say about the plot without giving anything away. And while I thought the end sort of ruined the movie, I won't give it away.

Side Effects wants to be a Hitchcock movie but Hitchcock was a master story teller and a master at creating thrills and expense, and while Soderbergh is a solid story teller, he's maybe just a novice with the whole suspense thing. The only character I ever truly felt invested in was Law's shrink and based soley on the fact that I find Law creepy and untrustworthy, I kept waiting for him to be found guilty of something awful, like child pornography or beating cats or something (that being said, Law is the best thing about Side Effects). Side Effects also wants to have a really great OMG moment like The Usual Suspects or Primal Fear but it lacks the cleverness of one and the intellect of the other (I'll let you decide which is which).

The performances are very hit or miss. I always found Catherine Zeta-Jones to be a little hit or miss for my taste. I find her general ability to always over act to only be suited for certain roles - say, Chicago - but, it's definitely not right for this. She's too campy and femme fatale. This is not a 60s noir movie and her performance, while small, is distracting. Channing Tatum is fine if disposable. Rooney Mara, in her first big role since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, proves why she is such a great talent. She is perfect for this sad, broken girl, although I would like to see her do a movie where she gets to smile once in a while. But it's Jude Law who is the stand out here. Even when seeming untrustworthy, he manages to put so much heart and soul into this character, you are completely invested in his future and decisions. It's the first solidly good performance of the year and it will likely spend a few months topping my Best Actor list.

So, basically Side Effects is what it is - a decent slow burn movie with an interesting concept and some good performances. It's not some great classic thriller and it is not going to live forever in your movie memories. It should not be a great director's swan song.

Grade: C+