Steven Soderbergh’s supposed last feature is a solid and entertaining thriller.
, offers a satisfying ending. Soderbergh recently announced his retirement and Side Effects was the last film he’ll make. Even then, he settles for a subdued bow out rather than generic, box-ticking hit. And that just makes it all the more endearing.
There’s a level of predictability that comes with big-budget Hollywood blockbusters; they avoid risk, play safe and rake in ticket sales. Palme d’Orwinner Steven Soderbergh’s psychological thriller Side Effectsboasts an A-list cast and a tense and twisting plot that drives the climax far from predictability. Psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) prescribes a pill to patient Emily (Rooney Mara), a woman suffering from depression after her husband is released from prison. The side effects of the drug are much worse than anticipated. After that, the less you know, the better.
The characters are (seemingly) victims of circumstance and of money-hungry pharmaceutical companies and the film nudges at the failings of capitalism and its dysfunctional relationship with healthcare. It just doesn’t push hard enough. There’s a quiet confidence in the unravelling of the plot that continues at a steady pace. The film itself isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary but it exceeds expectation and after a tense hundred minutes
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