Soderbergh double feature
GO!Stevie S. is one of my favorite directors, not just because I like his films, but because his career is just so damn interesting. He seems to be determined to dabble in damn near every genre possible, which leads him to do things that nobody else really tries. Sometimes these experiments are more interesting on paper then they turn out to actually be (The Good German, for example), but at least he's a guy who's determined to keep trying something new. Such as...
Disaster movies are always so damn forumlaic that its bracing when you see one that works and works well.
Contagion is intermitedly terrifying, and even when it isn't, is always absorbing. Not relying upon the histeronics of your average story of a world in danger, and instead relying upon rigourous scientific accuracy, Contagion tells the story of a deadly virus that's ruthless in its effects and the parallel stories of the counter efforts against the disease and the panic that spreads once order breaks down.
The film loses a bit of its edge as it becomes less of "holy shit this thing is realistic and fucking scary" and more like "so what do we do about it now?" It so wonderfully captures a worldwide crisis as it unfolds that it can't help but lose some steam later on. Soderbergh's usual dispassionate viewing of his characters does him no favors here. Its a damn good film that feel like the classic it could have been, but still, its damn good.
4/5Less serious and more fun is
Haywire, which is what happens when a great filmmaker makes a trashy action film, it comes out as a slight, stylish as hell action caper that's lots of fun and is something that's worth taking seriously. Also serious, the quality of the ass whuppings delivered by its star, Gina Carano. I mean, dammmn, she fucks up some dudes rather hard here.
Its also neat as to how the gender of the protagionist tweaks the standard issue plot, and seeing another take on a genre movie like this. Its like a Seagal movie where everybody wants to fuck him, or another way of putting it, a Bourne movie with much better camerawork. Haywire might be the best action film I see in a theater this year, I have no faint praise to damn it with, it just plain rocks.
4.5/5
