Runtime:
106 minutes
Release
Date: February 8, 2013
Rating:
R
Director:
Steven Soderbergh
When
Dr. Jonathon Banks (Jude Law, "Contagion") warns his
patient Emily (Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
that her new medication has side effects, she looks him in the eye
before telling him that there are always side effects. While this
might be a great opening to the film, the scene actually comes
towards the middle.
"Side
Effects" actually begins with Emily going through the motions of
an ordinary day, though for her, it includes a trip to visit her
husband (Channing Tatum) in prison. As the film progresses, we learn
that the two once had the perfect marriage, complete with a fancy
house and a brand new car for her. When he landed in prison for
insider training, she was forced to start her life over again on her
own.
Once
Martin comes home, Emily begins suffering from extreme depression and
anxiety. She goes through the motions of having sex with him without
really feeling anything, and she has trouble at work. It all comes to
a head when Emily drives her car directly into a brick wall. Dr.
Banks treats her at the hospital, and he prescribes her medication
while offering to treat her in his office.
Emily
has trouble on one medication, getting violently sick at work. Banks
prescribes different medications for her, but she suffers side
effects every time. He finally contacts her former doctor, Victoria
Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who recommends a new drug that she
prescribed for similar patients. The drug changes Emily's life. She
initiates sex, has a smile on her face, and generally seems happier.
The only problem is that she suffers from sleepwalking, wandering
through the apartment, cooking, and doing other things while asleep.
Martin
suggests she try something new, but she decides to stick with the
medication. She also becomes dependent upon Jonathon, much to the
annoyance of his wife Deidre (Vinessa Shaw, "The Hills Have
Eyes") who has problems of her own. This all leads up to a
shocking event that Emily commits while sleepwalking, which test
Jonathon and leave him hanging on by a string.
I
wanted to see "Side Effects" from the first time that I saw
a trailer, but I assumed that it was one of those films I would watch
at the cheapo theater or catch on DVD. Cut to Valentine's Day. Since
I picked the restaurant, the boyfriend got to pick the movie. I
lobbied hard for "Mama," which really means that I kept
pointing out that it started later, which would give us time to hit
the concession stand. He instead picks this one, and we actually made
it through the concession line in ten minutes.
That
said, "Side Effects" is one of those films that's hard to
describe. I don't want to ruin things by giving away the ending or
even the big "shocking twist" in the middle, which makes it
hard to even write a review. I will say that I liked it, but it
definitely wasn't the movie that I expected. It starts off as a
thriller, but then it becomes something of a crime drama, and
honestly, it almost seemed like an extended episode of "Law and
Order: Special Victims Unit" at times.
It
doesn't help that Soderbergh wants to slam us over the head with his
views on prescription medication. Yes, drugs are bad, and yes, many
people are over medicated. Oh and yes, there are many side effects
associated with those drugs, including sleepwalking. Unfortunately,
there are also a large number of people who benefit from taking
medication. Soderbergh almost seems to think that no one actually
needs prescription medications, and that anyone who takes one will
have problems.
In one
scene, he shows a woman signing up for a test study. Though the
doctor tries to talk to her about it, all she cares about is that she
gets her medication for free. All right Soderbergh, we get it. Those
little moments were sometimes distracting, and I actually found
myself rolling my eyes multiple times. Had he just stuck to the
thriller aspect, this could have been a much stronger movie.
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