SIDE EFFECTS starring Jude Law & Rooney Mara

...and DL faves Channing Tatum and CZJ!! Have we talked about this one yet? Just saw it today. It was totally outlandish, yet stylish and engaging. But if this is the best he can do, Steven Soderbergh is indeed ready for retirement.

A Blixa
• Never have thought Soderbergh was very outstanding as a director. He does a good solid job but that's about it. No really outstanding performances or interesting point of view or style just a decent job at not fucking anything up.

• OP, can you spoil it please? I will never see it at the theater but am curious.

• I was similarly disappointed. The movie had a promising opening but became duller and duller. i think Soderbergh is right: It's time to retire or at least take a good long rest to recharge.

• It's not horrible, but it could have been so much better with just a little more clarity and economy and a more authentic feel for the law.

• R3 I agree. SPOILERS It started out with a good premise but then after about 30 minutes it dropped the ball. I mean he HAD TO CANCEL HIS CABLE!!!!!!

  http://www.moviepooper.com/11/5084sideeffects.html

• Rooney murders Channing. Planned the whole thing because he was arrested for insider trading and destroyed their life. Went from houses in the hamptons to living in Washington Heights. She studies people who have depression, then fakes months of depression and a suicide attempt so she can murder Channing in a blackout "depressive episode." She targets Jude Law as her shrink, who has a history with another young, pretty patient that died. Rooney and CZJ make the lez lez and are in on a plan to get Jude to prescribe a new drug called Ablixa to her so that Rooney can blame the side effects for the blackout murder. Meanwhile, the bad press causes Ablixa's stock to plummet, Jude Law's life is ruined, and CZJ makes a shitload of money by buying stock in Ablixa's closest competitor, which was the main part of the plan with Rooney anyway. Jude Law gets wise, gets Rooney to admit to the plan while she's gotten off for the murder and put into a looney bin under his care. Rooney double crosses CZJ, who is arrested, though Rooney is still technically under Jude Law's care in the looney bin. Since CZJ and Jude Law had a side deal that has given Jude Law a chunk of the money without anyone's prior knowledge, he's good, then double crosses Rooney who thinks that by turning in CZJ she won't have to go back to the looney bin, but she does. She is trapped under Jude Law's "care" because while completely sane, she's still a murderer who will go to prison if she deviates from anything Jude tells her to do. He's got the money, gets his life back, and has complete control over Rooney, who nobody believes when she tries to tell the truth. The End.

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• Jude Law looks bad. To quote Emma Bombeck on Elizabeth Taylor...I always wanted to look like Jude Law ....now I do.

• Thank you r6. I guess I will catch it on video or HBO. It sounds ok but not the greatest.

• Yes, thank you r6. I saw the movie and didn't get as much out of it as your brilliant summary. And for the Channing Tatum fans, he plays the Janet Leigh role, if you know what I mean.

  OP

• How old is CZJ?

• I am 33

  CZJ

• 35, R10. Always 35.

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• R6, Thanks for elaborating on the points that I missed in this flick. So did CZJ & Rooney have an affair off screen too?

• Did Kirk Douglas ever bang CZJ after Michael got bored of her and could no longer get it up?

• r13, I read a blind item about CZJ that said that she's pretty much a lesbian now and asked for even more lesbian sex scenes in Side Effects than were originally intended. I know you have to take those with a grain of salt, but it makes sense. There were a few walkouts from people who didn't realize they were walking into a Soderbergh film and weren't expecting his particular aesthetic (I.e. dour and, um, "deliberately paced"). I thought the movie was pretty damn good for what it was, but in the 90's this type of film would've been slicker, sexier, and sleazier. We really don't get good adult thrillers anymore. I was actually watching Basic Instinct on Netflix recently and realized that over 20 years later not only does it still work beautifully, but an adult sexual thriller of that nature would never be released today. (P.S., can somebody start a thread about Basic Instinct?)

  r6

• When Channing exited the movie, I lost interest.

• This is the first time I've seen Rooney Mara. Is that glazed expression and dazed demeanor typical? Somehow I have a feeling they weren't put on just for the character. Also, got a laugh at how the couple, Rooney and Channing, were forced to move to Washington Heights after his arrest and financial ruin and yet the Washington Heights apartment was a gorgeous loft most NYers woud kill for. I must say I loved Jude Law with the darker thinner hair and less glam look, as more of an everyman. His vests and cardigans were very appealing on him. And Polly Draper and Mamie Gummer as essentially crowd extras.

• .

• In spite of it's mediocrity the film got some rave reviews. I'm surprised more people here and out there haven't seen it.

• Rooney Mara seemed to be channeling Mia Kirshner.

• Love SS, liked this movie. He will NEVER beat Schizopolis.

  http://youtu.be/YoRWAJDEfj8