Review: Side Effects

Last week, Mister Jackal of InnerCity Geeks and I got a chance to attend an early screening of Side Effects. No wait, not an early screening, it was the frelling NYC premiere! Any night where the movie gets a live introduction from Steven Soderbergh is pretty awesome.

Here are our takes on Side Effects.

Wilderowens' Review

Side Effects is a drama that starts the first half the movie as a documentary. And it is a slow start, with some hard truths about anti-depressants. In fact, if they had kept the hard lined approach they were on, it would still be a fantastic commentary on today's society. Yet, the tone changes almost jarringly to make it to a drama. That switch is the real fault of this film.

This film is still going to be an Oscar contender with strong performances from Rooney Mara and Jude Law. They carry the plot through the weak points. Vinessa Shaw was also a surprise as Law's wife. The only performance I didn't care for was Catherine Zeta-Jones, who almost seemed cartoonish at times. Even with its problems, this is still a good film with an important message.

Fanciest Movie Ticket Ever.

Mister Jackal's Review

Outside of the cast, I went into this film not knowing much about Side Effects. This film was like a giant onion. There are multiple layers that just keep getting peeled back as the the story progressed. Jude Law and Rooney Mara had great performances. Channing Tatum is slowly winning me over. I have never been a fan of his but he has been surprising me since last years 21 Jump Street. This film is beautifully shot and put together very well but it does drags a lot. Side Effects is very dialogue heavy and I feel that even with the great performances just didn't make the mark.Some moments grabbed me but others really bored me. Is it enjoyable, yes. Is it Steven Soderberg's best, no.



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