CONTAGION

Greetings!
Yes, as promised, I have seen CONTAGION, and my god... I LOVE it! I tend to like these 'civilisation in crisis' films (for example, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW), but they're usually not well made. I mean, they tend to be melodramatic and not very 'involving'. CONTAGION, with its superb cast, is THRILLING and emotionally involving... we actually care about the characters, especially Kate Winslet's character... that woman!

UNFORTUNATELY, I did miss the first 20 minutes or so... not that it matters too much, but apparently I missed an interesting montage and an autopsy, DARN! Also, I would like to say that the WATER bottle that I bought was WAY over-priced... seriously, we need to do something about this! Okay, back on track. It's not that Contagion does anything 'new', it's that the director has deadly precision and the film is well paced. As the film progresses, we become more and more involved, and whilst we are enticed by every scene - we can't help but wonder 'what will happen next?' I think the film is 'scary' in that it hits close to home, we (well, I) have lived through the H1N1 and the Swine Flu outbreaks... I still remember how paranoid I was... it's justified - I was In Asia during the H1N1 outbreak.

There is really no point in discussing the plot, which is actually EXTREMELY tight and the 'exposition' scenes are cut short - ensuring no boredom. Whilst the film is about an EPIDEMIC, the dim lighting makes us feel claustrophobic and trapped, and the 'rumbling' music further carries this tension and momentum. As said,  the film is very well casted, oh AND some people have been slamming Jude Law for his Australian accent, yes, it is half British- Half Australian, BUT some people do speak like that (I would know, I live in Australia). The cast manages to forge an emotional connection with the audience (we empathise with and worry for MOST of them) within relatively short screen time, and that is another feature that DISTINGUISHES this 'disaster' film [from others].

Lastly, the film has a great balance of the good, the bad and even the ugly. No melodrama here.

I think if I had to rate it I would give it 8/8.5, but if I based this rating on how much I enjoyed it... probably a 9 or a 10... yes, I'm indecisive, DEAL WITH IT!

P.S. when was the last time you washed your hands? Actually, has anyone touched you or coughed in your presence in the last ten days? If yes... oooh. Be afraid, be very afraid.