September 29, 2011
The Berkshire Beacon
15
Girl-2-Girl Anniversaries Janel Harrison Beacon Staff
Photo Credit / Warner Bros.
Steven Soderbergh and Gwyneth Paltrow on the set of Contagion.
Contagion will leave you itching for more Bera Dunau Beacon Staff Writer
The most terrifying film of 2011 is not a horror movie but a finely wrought drama called Contagion. Contagion tells the story of a deadly global flu epidemic, and the lives of those it affects. This is a premise that could have easily produced something dry and clinical, frightening only to the most die hard of germaphobes. In the hands of writer/director Steven Soderberg, however, it is the animating force of a tense and engaging thriller. Like the disease it chronicles, the story of Contagion spans the globe. Its ensemble cast includes Laurence Fishburne as the deputy director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gwyneth Paltrow as the diseases first victim, Matt Damon as her husband, Marillon Cotillard as an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization, Kate Winslet as a CDC investigator and Jude Law as a sensationalist blogger. Much of the cast of Contagion never meets one another, their stories linked only by their intimate relationships with the disease. As a result, each of the actors doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but they make up for it with their fantastic performances. Mark my words, at least one of Contagion’s actors is going to win a major award for their per-
formance, and when they do, the inevitable response will be praise, as well as a reflection on the great work of the other actors in the cast. I cannot overstate how well crafted a film Contagion is. One of the only downsides of reviewing movies is that you begin to notice artistic tricks of the trade, which, even when well done, will often take you out of the film. With a movie like Contagion, however, the underpinnings of the film’s construction are so brilliant that noticing them only makes you enjoy the movie more. Contagion masterfully uses music, cinematography and editing to put the audience exactly where it wants it to be. I am probably one of the least germaphobic people out there, but the opening scenes of Contagion, which show the virus as it begins to take hold in the population are some of the most chilling I have ever watched. As people fall ill, come into contact with others and die, there is an unmistakable dread that takes hold of you, and makes you keenly aware of every action onscreen. Contagion also handles disease and death in probably the most effective way I’ve seen in a movie. Death in Contagion is brutal and final, and the disease is implacable as it makes its way through the population, contact by contact. But even though one of the film’s key themes is hysteria, Contagion never takes a hysterical
tone. Even when we see people in food lines and looting at the height of the epidemic, the movie refuses to give into sensationalism. Instead, these effects are treated as the natural but frightening results of a deadly flu. The narrative’s refusal to give into hysteria makes the story all the more gripping and frightening and makes the disease feel like something that could actually break out in the real world. The individual stories that make up Contagion are also quite well done. Incorporating elements of mystery, medical thriller, family drama and political page -turner, these stories address complicated issues like medical ethics, the proper role of journalism, and the interconnectedness of the world we live in today. Many of these plot lines also manage to come full circle; yet manage to do so without feeling trite or contrived. Fantastic acting, great writing, superb directing and inspired cinematography make Contagion into something far greater than the sum of its parts. Starting with a cough and ending with a revelation Contagion is the kind of film that will leave you talking and thinking about it long after you’ve left the theatre. It is a great movie. See it now.
Anniversaries—both happy and sad memories amidst our wielding emotions. For me the month of September is one wrapped in all the precious things, and yet shrouded in the bitter ones. That’s life! But it’s all in how we choose to celebrate or remember each of them that can make a difference in our lives and enable us to see each one of them as they are. And it’s our friends and family who help us, and ride along with us through it all. Amen to them! Anniversaries not only shape us, but they can define us, because with each and every one of them comes a feeling, some more poignant and profound then others. And with that feeling, we relive the moments in our lives again and again, making us richer in character and spirit. Some can cut us and make us bleed, and some are filled with all the love and beauty our hearts can hold. Corny, but true, it seems as each one passes I learn more about myself. Do you? You know there’s nothing we need more than a little soul searching. It helps us to become better, healthier and happier people. I think it’s important to make mental notes of all the firsts, and all the lasts. O.K. girls, do you remember your first date with your significant other, fiancée, or husband? Whether it’s only been a month, a year, 10 years or 40 years? These are the moments. Two people stand together in the spring of life, amongst the splendor of an autumn day. Golden leaves dance along the cobblestone landing, a brisk wind kisses their cheeks in this place of simplicity abounded by the sight and sound of rushing water behind them and a quaint, historical town flourishing in all the arts awaits. Splashes of colored petals wave at them; showing off in rays of sunlight. It’s their time, their
place, and so they make a vow to each other on that day to return each year in celebration of their special beginning, crossing over a bridge into a new life. Winters pass and each fall arrives with all the year’s changes, children grow older, more lines, and another gray hair, or less hair. I see them one day holding hands with wrinkled faces, limp in their step over that bridge until their very last year when they’ll know it’s time to say goodbye.
That bridge holds all the promise of their heart’s love, a promise that even through the largest of hurdles in life, they’ll make it through. This is a beautiful anniversary, one easily lived, easily felt, easily understood. In our hearts it’s important to keep these memories safe, hold on tight and don’t ever let go. We all have them. What’s yours? Because they in turn enable us to ride the waves though the heartbreaking ones, which as we know come charging into our hearts like a roaring lion. They really bite, and leave us drained, and always, always in question. Treasure each one of your timeless seasons in a way that brings you comfort and peace. Light a candle, put on a dress, hold a picture, let go of two balloons, cross a bridge…ß Ciao Bella