Contagion

Expertly crafted, well written, and brilliantly acted, Contagion has it all. Taking a premise that didn't seem likely to succeed, Steven Soderbergh spun a unique thriller revolving around the people more than the disease. Throwing us right into the action with disease spreading through the world, Contagion, like the virus within the film, doesn't let up.

The script beautifully gives us only the information we need. It does this by using many different characters across the globe instead of just a couple main ones. With the multitude of characters we are shown how a pandemic affects the world and how different organizations work together and react to the problem. The characters ranged from a village in China, a recently single father and his daughter, a deluded blogger, a group of scientists, and two higher-ups of the CDC.

With one of the best casts of the year the acting throughout this movie was incredible! Matt Damon, Marrion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow give oustanding performances. Full of emotional nuance and small facial expressions the actors do a great job of conveying their feelings and making it seem real. When tracking where the virus originated the actors give their performances a touch of urgency. None of the events in the movie ever felt like they couldn't actually happen. It was reminiscent of the swine flu and bird flu epidemics a few years ago. Their performances were unforgettable.

Contagion is full of twists, turns, and surprises, and just when you think you have it all figured out, it changes and messes with you. Definitely a must-see.

8/10