Side Effects

SPOILER ALERT! – I don't really trust Steven Soderbergh in the long run, but a film with a reputation for a masterpiece, especially with such a packed cast, I was happy to roll with. And I got burned, even though it didn't seem like it at first. The deception (although at that moment unknown to the viewer) was intricate, thorough, and ultimately suspenseful, because it's not clear for a long time which piece of information is important. But once the topics started to overlap too much and the actions of pharmaceutical companies helped the main hero uncover the plot, I knew something was wrong. Moreover, as someone who works in the field of psychiatry, I can't escape the impression that Side Effects does a disservice to mentally ill people. And I'm also bothered by the final outcome of the Scott Z. Burns screenplay, in which women are unjustifiably punished. Combined with Catherine Zeta-Jones' paper-thin lines, clumsy paranoid twists, and a desperately lacking catharsis, I am officially giving up on Steven. (13/07/2016)

Soderbergh, Newman, Law, Zeta-Jones, Tatum... These are names that together on one poster are as appealing to a film fan as a postman is to a watchdog, and although it’s far from being a rule, this time we have to admit that the stars knew well where to shine. A masterfully filmed, well-acted and excellently written story that may be reminiscent of the golden era of the 90s, but thanks to the careful and creative direction manages to be original and interesting in every sense. Mara and Law stand out from the cast, their characters clearly have the most psychological dimension, but it's also nice to see that Catherine still has it in her and looks fantastic despite her advanced age. Proper craftsmanship that returns Soderbergh to the first league of directors. 80% (25/07/2013)

Steven Soderbergh's surgically precise direction dominates this cold, seemingly pharmaceutical fraud. A standard set-up, a brilliantly tangled in the middle and a worthy finale. A film with a plethora of perfectly cast roles, tight reins and an unpredictable plot. I wouldn't be afraid to call it one of the best thrillers of the year. It's not as atmospheric and emotionally charged like Prisoners, but here everyone is evil, which is a very interesting cinematic twist. Usually when Soderbergh makes movies, it's not about good and evil characters, it's about who knows how to walk the walk. (03/06/2016)

An outstanding and rather (very) subversive genre piece which stands and falls with its conclusion. And it‘s with that final explanatory and point making last ten minutes that there is a problem, and not just one. Not that it’s borderline stupid or that it doesn’t make any sense, but.. There simply are few absolutely crucial buts. Which makes you doubly sorry, especially with a movie that’s coherent as this one. (27/04/2013)

It's almost as if this Soderbergh guy has something against the pharmaceutical industry. He follows Contagion with the more intimate Side Effects, whose tone once again casts the very principle of pharmacy in a less than favorable light. The problem isn't just with the pharmaceutical industry, of course (which makes it all the worse); indeed, where there's opportunity, there's a human being. I loved the initially slow, almost unnerving pace, which builds up brutally, and perhaps a little forcefully, in the last act, only to have the great Steven eventually convince you that some things really may not be as they first appear. Brilliant camerawork that perfectly underscores the main character's feelings *SPOILER ALERT* (it does gets a bit ridiculous with those feelings, and anyone who's seen it knows what I mean:)) *END SPOILER*, Soderbergh's focused and once again very evocative direction combined with the unsettling soundtrack for me made this one of Soderbergh's best films in recent years. (20/12/2013)