Random thoughts while watching "Side Effects” (this is not a review, just random notes):
(1) Steven Soderbergh, the super productive director behind the Ocean's series, was recently telling reporters he's retiring. Yeah right! I thought he said that few times before, and yet he kept churning out movie after movie. And I read the other day he's directing Matt Damon in an upcoming movie. Dude, what retiring?
(2) Back to this movie, it's so low profile I almost missed it. I didn't even realize it's showing here in Malaysia until I checked the showtime online. Why such a low profile? It's not like there's no big star. Come on, Jude Law can sell tickets, right?
(3) That poster with square boxes containing the 4 actors' and actresses' faces, it's so bad I almost thought it's some crappy B-grade movie. So unattractive and unoriginal.
(4) Catherine Zeta-Jones's lips are kinda distracting. Did she look like this before?
(5) So you hire Channing Tatum for a role, and you had him on screen for what? 30 minutes? So some random movie-star-wannabe TV actors are not available?
(6) Rooney Mara. Yes her name is weird. Some people said her brief appearance in The Social Network was eye opening, but I didn't pay her too much attention there. Many said her Lisbeth Salander was great, but back then I suspected it was a fluke, the greatness was the character not the performance. Now I think yes, this lady can act. When you realize what really happen and you think back, alright she left traces for you early in the movie, and that's called acting.
(7) Jude Law once again proves he can bring a seemingly boring character to life and makes you root for him. Yes he's always got the less interesting part compared to his co-star, Sherlock Holmes, Anna Karenina, Closer..., but he always gives his best performance. It's unlikely he'll get award buzz for this movie since it's an early release and it's a quiet performance. Too bad, I think he's under-appreciated.
(8) So you think this is a medical drama? It started as one, but it soon becomes something else. Go watch it and you'll find out. It's more complicated than that.
(9) The ending is a bit rush. I still don't understand what was the last 5 minutes about. What did Jude Law do to tie up the loose ends? Maybe I was blur, or I missed something in between? If you watch this, can you explain it to me?
(10) Final verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5. Not as boring as it may seem, and good drama is so rare nowadays you'd appreciate this.
