“Better living through chemistry,” quips psychiatrist Jonathan Banks
(Jude Law) as he cracks an energy drink before running off to see
another patient. Early on in Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects,
Banks is about to meet Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) for the first time, a
woman he will proceed to prescribe a series of anti-depressants to.
The film, now available on Blu-ray, functions on two distinct levels.
First, it’s a scathing indictment of the pharmaceutical industry, its
practices, and a culture that cares more about the bottom line and
selling you another pill to take than with actually fixing problems.
Second, Side Effects is a tight, intricate psychological thriller
that has garnered comparisons to the films of Alfred
Hitchcock—unfolding, turning, and evolving throughout.
Hitchcock is the obvious roadmap here. The similarities are apparent
from the opening frames, as a gradual pan and zoom that travels across
the skyline, pushing in, placing you in an apartment that is empty, but
for a fresh bloodstain on the floor.
Structured in three distinct acts, each with its own individual point
and focus, the first follows Emily. Her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), gets out of jail for insider trading, and her entire life
unravels around her. Barely keeping it together, she goes through first
one then another and another brightly colored little pill designed to
help her make it through the day. Everyone has tried them, all, everyone
has the one that worked for them, and everyone is all up in her
business about it. Eventually her shrink, Banks, prescribes Ablixa, a
new, untested drug with unknown side effects. Mara is fantastic,
seamless as she switches gears from doting wife, to seriously depressed
and borderline suicidal, to something more sinister.
This is also where Side Effects is most openly critical of our
overly medicated society and the habit of reaching for a quick and easy
fix. Omnipresent ads for prescription pills line the background, from
slick bus posters and inviting billboards to catchy pop ups when you
check your email and soothing, serene television commercials. Each one
comes with a laundry list of side effects that are almost as serious as
the symptoms you’re treating. But don’t worry, there are still more
drugs to combat the negative impacts of the other drugs that you swallow
on a daily basis.
As Banks is wined and dined by the pharmaceutical giants, Emily
wanders through her life like a zombie, until, in the midst of a
sleepwalking episode she doesn’t remember, stabs Martin to death in
their Manhattan apartment, an act she can’t remember. Who is to blame?
Emily? Martin? The drug companies? If the violence was caused by the
drugs, then Banks is off the hook. If it wasn’t, then she’s a murderer.
To the film’s credit, Side Effects never takes the easy road,
instead pointing an accusatory finger at all sides, at all the pieces
that come together. It takes a big picture approach rather than harping
on a single thread. And as an added benefit, despite an obvious point
and bias, you never feel like you’re being preached to.
For most movies, this would be enough to chew on. Story wise,
thematically, there’s a lot going on, but for Soderbergh and
screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who previously collaborated on Contagion,
they’re just getting started. In the second act it’s Banks’ turn to
come unglued, as his personal and professional life explode as a result
of Emily’s trial. His past comes back to haunt him, his marriage
dissolves and he, too, searches for someone to blame.
Everything is gone, but Banks can’t let go. And again, Side Effects
makes a smooth transition, and becomes a churning cat-and-mouse game of
lies, betrayal and corruption between Banks, Emily, and Dr. Victoria
Seibert (Catherine Zeta-Jone). The mystery unfolds and resolves in
satisfying ways, shifting in ways you don’t see coming.
The Blu-ray doesn’t offer much in the way of bonus features. There’s a
three-minute video that purports to be a behind-the-scenes look at the
production. In reality this is a short film about the harrowing life
these “actor people” face on set, people like “Oscar Loser” Jude Law. An
intense, man-voiced announcer prattles on about the sacrifices of
working four-hour days, living in four-star New York hotels, and other
horrific hardships faced by the cast. It’s amusing, but three minutes of
it is just about long enough. Fun little side note: Catherine
Zeta-Jones shot this video.
There are also couple of commercials for two of the fictional drugs
from the film, Alixa and Intenin. While they’re excellent facsimiles of
those ubiquitous pharmaceutical advertisements you see on primetime
television, they’re not particularly interesting. You also have access
to an interactive website for Ablixa. Again, it’s remarkably similar to
the real thing, with commercials, links to studies, and even an
interview with Dr. Banks.
No comments:
Post a Comment