Side Effects

Steven Soderbergh recently turned fifty (coincidentally, on the same day as my twenty first) and announced that he was to fold away his director's chair one last time in favour of pursuing his love of painting. Aside from anything else, then, film-making seems to have been kind to his bank balance. Soderbergh's sex, lies and videotape won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1989 and since then he has proved to be one of the most diverse directors in the industry, bouncing from genre to genre like they were going out of fashion. Last year's Magic Mike was a prime example and Side Effects, his latest – and supposedly last – film is a tense and engaging thriller with plenty of surprises along the way.

Starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum, Side Effects is striking for its eclectic cast list and it was somewhat surprising what a good ensemble they made. Emily Taylor (played by Mara) is reunited with her husband (Tatum) after he has spent four years in prison for insider trading. A few days after his release, however, she attempts to commit suicide and is treated for depression under the care of a psychiatrist (Law) who prescribes her a new antidepressant drug, with devastating consequences. The film's central question concerns whether the drug made her do what she did or if her psychiatrist and the drug company are to blame. Look at the Wikipedia article for the film, and you'll note that the film is described as a 'psychological thriller-neo-noir' and the hybrid nature of the film has drawn criticism from some. One critic lamented the mix of 'court room drama, forensic thriller and romantic murder mystery' which created a confused and unconvincing narrative. I, on the other hand, felt that Soderbergh had rather brilliantly combined elements which perfectly reflected the film's themes of confusion and deception.

There are some beautifully-composed shots throughout the film and the claustrophobic, selective focus employed helped to draw the audience into the world of Taylor: a world which was intense and which lacked clarity. The camera moved with a lyricism which is often hard to come by, whether it was tracking the movement of a folder across a desk or simply an establishing shot of an apartment block. Dealing with a subject matter of drugs and the pharmaceutical industry, many of the scenes were, aesthetically, very clinical and I was struck by sequences which oozed blue and black tones, as if they had been captured by x-ray film. Obviously, that is somewhat of a hyperbole, but Soderbergh's ability to subtly highlight such themes was a joy to watch.

In narrative terms, Side Effects was perpetually enthralling and its plot twists and turns were genuinely surprising and, even though I'd worked out the main plot revelation some fifteen minutes before it was revealed, the film's skill in keeping me engaged was something to applaud. Jude Law's performance was intriguing to watch and he hasn't been on better form for a long time. Catherine Zeta-Jones was, um, rather menacing as his fellow psychiatrist and almost did enough to redeem herself for her sins in the abysmal Rock of Ages. Mara, too, was an enchanting screen prescence and I have a feeling we shall be seeing much more from her in the future. To return to Soderbergh's habit of jumping around with genres, the film did slip from one type of film into another and then another, and never really held a through-line which was strong enough to support its grand statements on morality. But this never detracts from its enjoyability or its successes.

Side Effects is a tense, intelligent and intoxicating thriller which successfully leaves the audience guessing and, in the end, satisfied with its conclusion. Mara, Law, Tatum and Zeta-Jones made for interesting performances and the aesthetic beauty of the camera work was a highlight of a generally successful piece of entertainment. If it is Steven Soderbergh's last film, then he's gone out on a high.

Clapperboard Rating: * * * *