The immediate present. Beth returns from a business trip to Hong Kong. She doesn’t feel well, looks tired and dizzy, and loses consciousness at home. Minutes later she dies in hospital in front of her stunned husband. No doctor can explain the cause. Hours later more cases appear, in the United States and around the world: an epidemic with international consequences begins.
What have we got?
- A realistic film, full of suspense and action, with a virus as its star.
- A director known for intelligent films and social themes (Traffic, Erin Brockovich).
- A luxury cast: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet…
- A debate that is social, political, biological and, above all, personal.
- A big budget.
What haven’t we got?
- Any notable inconsistencies (in the script, at least).
- A slow pace.
- A demagogic or half-baked message.
How does it turn out?
A gripping film at a breathless pace, where lots of things happen at once, with many angles opened up and many stories overlapping. Although it’s centred on the US, it’s a worldwide epidemic and the film keeps that feeling alive throughout. To set the different scenes the director uses wide shots of cities, with their names and populations, to convey the scale and speed of the tragedy: simple and effective. The drama arrives in just the right measure, leaving enough time to connect with the characters without being morbid. There’s room for scientific and political debate, for social criticism and for the media. For empathy. It isn’t a film with a message: it presents facts for the viewer to weigh up. It certainly tries to be realistic, and it succeeds. Alarmist? Doom-mongering? That depends on how you read it, but that doesn’t seem to be the intention. Setting the scientific rigour aside (I can’t judge it), it seeks objectivity and coherence in the consequences. What it shows is the fragility of a species, how the most innocent of coincidences could finish off a whole race. How the very habits that move our world forward are the ones that could destroy us. How survival instinct kicks in in desperate situations, for better or worse depending on the person. How fear spreads faster than viruses… In short, a film to make you think.
It’s a more up-to-date version of Outbreak with the action of the brilliant Twelve Monkeys. The technical level is high, and realistic enough for those of us who know nothing about biology. The script, though very elaborate and fast-paced, is easy to follow.
Watch it if you want a good couple of hours, if you want to reflect, or if you like the films mentioned above. If you’re curious about what would happen if what they warned about swine flu actually came true. What would governments, the scientific community, the public and the media do? How would the world react? There’s a bit of everything, without going too deep. Don’t watch it if you’re anxious or stressed.
Recommended, very interesting.