Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Contagion Blu-ray Movie Review

The end of the world as we know it...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 4, 2012

Former indie wunderkind Steven Soderbergh need only close his eyes, concentrate and utter a few magic words, and *bamf* a lineup of actors other directors would kill for materializes out of thin air. It's a neat little trick; one that, two or three perplexing choices notwithstanding, serves Contagion well. With Gwyneth Paltrow stepping up briefly and sputtering out suddenly -- in the first ten minutes, no less -- it's all too clear that star status doesn't equate to auto-immunization from Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns' MEV-1 virus. A cough is a death knell; a cold sweat a death sentence; a flushed face a harrowing development. And so it is that the lives of Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Lawrence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Marion Cotillard and, really, everyone on the planet hangs in a near-terrifying balance for two tense, taut acts. So how is it, then, that an infectious pandemic thriller like Contagion ends up feeling so sterile?

Things don't end so well for Ms. Paltrow...

Soderbergh clings to reality as best he can, unleashing a vicious virus on an unsuspecting global populous and taking a shot in the dark as to how our media-saturated culture would handle such a crisis. Economies stall, people panic, conspiracy theories evolve, and a very haggard U.S. government, a baffled CDC, and a reactionary World Health Organization (WHO) struggle to stay one step ahead of the rising death toll. It's a fairly accurate shot in the dark too, I think, minus the fact that the American government would most certainly flip the Worldwide Web access switch to "off" to silence self-serving, self-righteous, panic-inducing internet bloggers like Jude Law's Alan Krumwiede. But I digress. Contagion doesn't dabble in future dystopian fiction, deploy a Stand-esque super flu (frightening as Captain Tripps is), or stray far from reality at all. Soderbergh has done his homework (and then some), and there aren't many details to nitpick or Hollywood contrivances to scrutinize. The MEV-1 virus is a plausible bug, the chaos it brings is a plausible chaos, the reactions it garners are plausible reactions, and the false sense of security it rails against is a very real symptom of a very real global problem.

As strong as the performances are, though, Contagion begins losing steam the moment Paltrow's gristly autopsy is completed. Matt Damon holds out strained hope as her husband, a devoted father and family man who also suffers the loss of his young son soon after his wife's passing, while Anna-Jacoby Heron holds her own as his daughter. But both deliver genre performances and little more -- Damon is infuriatingly stoic in the wake of tragedy, so much so that his lack of tears left me shaking my head in disbelief -- and become less and less convincing as the film descends into sentimentality after the CDC eventually gains a foothold. The most compelling scenes come courtesy of Kate Winslet (as an Epidemic Intelligence Service official), Lawrence Fishburne (as the CDC officer tasked with mounting a defense against the MEV-1 virus) and Jennifer Ehle (as a CDC scientist racing to develop a vaccine), but with so many characters at Soderbergh's disposal, all three are shortchanged (if only a bit) and deprived of some much-deserved screentime. Law hams it up as one of the more outlandish elements in the film (his is the least intriguing tale), Cotillard is wasted as a kidnapped WHO epidemiologist (her story belongs in an entirely different movie), Bryan Cranston is completely squandered (and strangely wooden) in a role that could have been handed to just about anyone, Elliott Gould doesn't do much of anything (aside from demand a character better suited to his style), and Demetri Martin does his best to play it dry and straight as a CDC scientist (even though the containment suits he has to wear look like something the comedian would have worn while visiting the moon on his recent, short-lived Comedy Central series).

Hit or miss as some of it is, don't blame Damon and his castmates. Soderbergh is uncharacteristically unsure of himself at times and has a hard time settling on a tone; a slight, hacking cough that worsens as more and more characters and storylines demand closure. Pseudo-indie flourishes invade the third act. The social horror of MEV-1 pandemic dissipates too abruptly (as if a few angry mobs of locals is enough to convey the madness erupting across the globe). Soderbergh's initially pitch-perfect pacing starts to slip and slide all over the place. And the entire film ends with the cinematic equivalent of a shoulder shrug, thanks to a neatly packaged virus-origin story and a bit of none-too-subtle subtext that takes a shot at everything from deforestation to people who don't wash their hands every five minutes. The message? A devastating pandemic is inevitable, nothing short of innate immunity or physical isolation will do you any good, and Hollywood's finest are as susceptible to super viruses as the next guy. As a topical conversation starter, Contagion works wonders. As a thriller? An epidemic procedural? A character-driven drama? An international ensemble piece? A story as riveting as it is relevant? Contagion is simply too big for Soderbergh, who seems far more comfortable helming smaller, more intimate films. Had the film focused on the CDC and its response (with Winslet, Fishburne and Ehle front and center at all times), Soderbergh might have had me. Instead, we're given six different films crammed into one overcrowded quasi-thriller that's constantly being pulled in too many directions.

Contagion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Contagion looks like a smaller, more intimate Soderbergh film, defying its $60 million budget with every overcast sky, pale complexion, sickly hue and bleak foray into an infected populous. But Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer remains sound throughout, holding true to Soderbergh's photography and vision. There are a few bursts of color -- warm Chinese casino interiors, vibrant CDC containment suits and the like -- and skintones are (relatively) healthy and lifelike. Black levels are a touch underwhelming and contrast is a tad inconsistent, but neither issue traces back to the high definition encode itself. Thankfully, detail is impressive (striking even) on the whole, with clean textures and sharp edges. And, aside from some obvious shimmering in some of the CDC office scenes, there aren't any anomalies to report; I didn't spot any significant artifacting, aliasing, banding, smearing or crush, and the noise that spikes on occasion is attributable to the source, not a faulty presentation. All in all, Contagion's transfer isn't going to drop any jaws, but it isn't going to disappoint either.

Contagion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The same could be said of Contagion's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Though nothing special, Warner's lossless mix delivers for the most part and, at the very least, preserves Soderbergh's every last sonic intention. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, even in the midst of more chaotic sequences, and sound effects follow suit. The LFE channel isn't going to rattle windows and the rear speakers aren't going to leave anyone with a sore neck, but both are able-bodied and effective, lending power and presence when called upon. Dynamics are a bit thin, sure, and directionality isn't as engaging as it could be, I'll admit. But the low-key nature of it all serves the low-key nature of the story, and vice versa. It only helps that Cliff Martinez's mechanical score so effortlessly punctuates the proceedings with such punch and precision.

Contagion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Reality of Contagion (HD, 11 minutes): More frightening than the film itself, this featurette takes a look at the threat of real world pandemics, the very limited tools mankind currently has at its disposal, the relationship of fear and the media, and the men and women who would be tasked with combating any emerging virus. Soderbergh is absent -- which isn't exactly surprising, considering the production is left largely unexplored -- but the various experts, actors and crew members keep the rapidfire information interesting.
• The Contagion Detectives (HD, 5 minutes): Consultants, CDC officials, scientists, journalists and investigators from a number of pertinent fields lend the filmmakers and actors their expertise.
• How a Virus Changes the World (HD, 2 minutes): A quick (and oddly comical) overview of the life and times of a deadly virus in the modern world.
• BD-Live Functionality

Contagion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I had high expectations for Contagion (and, more to the point, for Soderbergh's latest), but it didn't grab hold of me like I thought it would. Soderbergh doesn't sink his teeth in or go in for the kill, too many supporting actors are wasted, too many of the performances are just that (performances), and its diluted third act left me cold. Ah well. Maybe it's just me. Warner's Blu-ray edition of Contagion is solid, albeit a tad anemic. The disc's AV presentation hits far more often than it misses, but its lack of satisfying special features (or really any substantial overview of the production) is a symptom of a disease that has infected too many Warner BD releases of late.