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Jim3k
02-23-2013, 01:18 AM
So you wanna see a movie starring Jude Law--or Rooney Mara? Maybe a side order of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum? Well...you're in luck. The movie is Side Effects.

Unfortunately this is a movie that, even with Jason's discovery of the DBR Spoiler Code, is too tricky to try to write an informative review. What I can say is that it is one of the best psychological thrillers to hit the theaters in many years. It has major unexpected twists (and already I am running into issues of Spoilers). It has its own speed. It's not fast moving, yet it doesn't drag.

Let's leave it this way: Big Pharma, insider trading, homicide, (all mentioned in public reviews) and then ... aah ... and then … a lot more happens.

This is an adult film. Yeah there's some sex...and the language is acceptable. But that stuff is hardly central to the movie's thesis. And if I tell you what the thesis is, you'd want to kill me. So I won't say more.

This is not a Jude Law I've ever seen before; Rooney Mara proves again that she's a chameleon of the best sort; Catherine Zeta-Jones shows a side I'm not familiar with and Channing Tatum, like much movie eye candy (for the ladies in this instance), has a short part.

One thing I think viewers will agree upon: This movie does not go where you expect it to.

It's not Michael Caine's Dressed to Kill (1980), but as a psychological thriller it has a nearly equal shock level.

Definitely worth seeing.

JasonEvans
02-23-2013, 08:08 PM
It also might be the last theatrical release of Stephen Soderbergh's amazing career. I hope not, but he says he is going to become a painter.

-Jason "haven't seen it yet... but I really want to" Evans

A-Tex Devil
02-24-2013, 05:05 PM
I liked it a lot. It wasn't a classic, but Jim3K's review is pretty spot on.

Without giving too much away, I don't think, the movie it reminded the most of was Malice. Side Effects is a lot better than Malice, but that movie was the one that jumped out of my memory banks when Side Effects was over.

InSpades
02-25-2013, 10:30 AM
I thought the movie was terrible and so did my friend who went with me. The 1st half I thought was fine and was a decent buildup to something but the 2nd half just went entirely off the rails. Rooney Mara was very good and I guess Jude Law was decent. I just can't buy the 2nd half of the movie at all. I won't say too much as I guess not a lot of people have seen it but I wouldn't mind having a discussion about it at some point.

missfinch
02-25-2013, 01:42 PM
I thought the movie was terrible and so did my friend who went with me. The 1st half I thought was fine and was a decent buildup to something but the 2nd half just went entirely off the rails. Rooney Mara was very good and I guess Jude Law was decent. I just can't buy the 2nd half of the movie at all. I won't say too much as I guess not a lot of people have seen it but I wouldn't mind having a discussion about it at some point.

Agree completely. I was really looking forward to seeing it after reading the OP and was still hopeful during the first half, but the second half was just ridiculous.