Every time I turn on the T.V. there’s a commercial for a new, FDA-approved anti-depressant—Abilify, Cymbalta, Seroquel XR—we certainly live in a so-called “Prozac Nation.” The advertisements generally consist of a woman, mid-to-late thirties, sipping on a mug of hot tea and staring blankly out a living room window. I’m currently taking an anti-depressant called Zoloft. I trust my doctor, at least after seeing the numerous diplomas on his wall, but sometimes, I can’t help but think that the side effects could be detrimental to my overall health. Furthermore, Zoloft, along with Paxil, Effexor and Lexapro are repeatedly referred to in this penetrating thriller. In today’s culture, pharmacology is a popular topic among dinner dates. Remember when exercise, well-balanced meals and a brandy nightcap did the trick? Those days are long over, and the filmmakers behind Side Effects are well aware of that.
Director Steven Soderbergh has stated that Side Effects is his last film. It’s a shame. Ever since he snagged the coveted Palm D’ Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival for his tantalizing psychological bedroom drama, Sex, Lies, and Videotapes, he’s rarely hit a false note in his directing career. Soderbergh’s mainstream affair, such as the Ocean’s trilogy, is still sublimely cool and understated. With Side Effects, not only is he staying relevant with our ever-changing American culture, but he takes what seems like a standard progression in mental health care, and flipping it on its back. The filmmakers unravel the story with suspense, intrigue, and above all, cunning irony.
Side Effects begins with a wide pan of Manhattan, followed by a slow zoom-in shot of a window. The opening shot instantly reminded me of the ominous beginning of Hitchock’s Psycho (1960); camera pans across Phoenix, Arizona and zooms into a window. Similar to Psycho, an unforeseen murder takes place. Side Effects opens and closes with camera movements from the perspective of looking into a home from a window, and conversely, looking out from a mental hospital. The placement of these two shots indirectly conveys the madhouse America is turning into.
The film begins with Emily Taylor, played by Rooney Mara, greeting her husband Martin (Channing Tatum) from a stint in prison for insider trading. Seemingly depressed and suicidal, Emily is confronted by psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) after crashing her car into a concrete wall. Sodenbergh initiates the car crash by a visceral montage, comprised of extreme angles and close-ups. At one point, the camera shows her press the gas pedal; her foot literally steps on the lens of the camera. Montages are typically used to convey an action that would be less convincing if it were done with a single wide shot. Not only is the scene dramatically effective, it also establishes an important plot-point. The car wreck, along with other dramatic scenes, is flipped around towards the end, shedding new light to the story.
Dr. Jonathan Banks is troubled by Emily’s diagnosis and investigates her past. He contacts Emily’s previous psychiatrist, Victoria Siebert, played with a sexy confidence by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Dr. Siebert reports she tried many drugs with Emily and encouraged him to try a new anti-depressant. Consequently, Emily’s side effects are bizarre; she begins to sleepwalk. Since the drug is working, despite the side effects, Dr. Banks keeps her on the drug. The subtext of the film shows how pharmaceutical companies manipulate consumers and physicians; the twist here is what happens when patients and psychiatrist manipulate the mental health care system. That’s as far as I’ll delve into the plot, anymore would spoil the experience.
Side Effects starts off as a character-driven drama—a woman seeking help for her depression. Then, it progresses into a social expose of modern psychiatry, and somewhere along the line, the narrative turns into a steamy, potboiler of a murder mystery. The conclusion is riveting. It has the same tone and plot devices as other modern noirs, such as Body Heat (1981) and The Grifters (1990).
I absolutely love the look of this film. Soderbergh has mastered HD technology and gives the film a cool and breezy undertone. The images are dripping with murky greens and yellows; a shadowy darkness is exposed underneath the seemingly professional New York socialites. Side Effects isn’t the kind of story that’s filmed these days. It’s a risky endeavor. The writer and director have to make sure that they’re one step ahead of the audience, and in the case of Side Effects, I was blindsided. The narrative contains old-school devices borrowed from the best of the mystery genre, and it kept building my interest until the very last shot.
***1/2 (out of four stars)
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