Contact Review
by Seth Bookey (sethbook AT panix DOT com)July 26th, 1997
Contact, 1997
Seen with Andrea at the Loews Astor on 18 July 1997 for $8.75.
Have you ever been to a movie that evokes a wide spectrum of emotions all within the first twenty minutes or so? Laughter, tears, excitement, and yes, even a lurid thought or two. It is indeed rare that a movie does all this so quickly. Contact is one of those movies. It features Matthew McConaughey with his shirt off within a half hour. Mmmmm... Every time he entered the screen I felt like Marge Simpson fantasizing about Lee Majors.
But seriously folks... Contact is all that and more, even if Mmmmmmatthew was not cast. It is one of those rare movies that evokes a wide array of feeling. It combines "what if"; with a lot of current issues and timeless questions.
Two major elements hold this movie together: The prospect of very intelligent life beyond our atmosphere, and Jodie Foster's impassioned portrayal of Dr. Eleanor Arroway, a physicist who has been listening to extraterrestrial radio waves and charting the skies. As a child, her father (David Morse) taught her how to use a ham radio and they charted how far her voice carried. Her fascination with covering distances eventually leads to a major discovery--loud systematic thumping from the star known to us as Vega.
Contact is full of some wonderful cinematography. The opening sequence is absolutely stunning, free of distracting music. The entire audience was awestruck and quiet throughout the opener. One incredible shot early on to watch for: Young Ellie running to the bathroom medicine cabinet. The special effects in Contact are really marvelous, so seamless that it is hard to believe that you are not actually watching events unfold.
Contact benefits from a great cast. All the expected "types" are there: the project director who steals the spotlight and the credit (Tom Skerritt); the paranoid military man (James Woods), the officious Presidential aide (Angela Bassett), the weird billionaire industrialist (John Hurt). Even some of the minor roles are well cast--Jake Busey as the religious cult leader, and Rob Lowe as Richard Rank, the Ralph Reed-like head of the "Conservative Coalition." The only person who is not all that terrific is, well, Mmmatthew McConnaughy, as he mumbles a lot and is not always comprehensible. He plays the man of faith who questions Eleanor's completely scientific stance. He always carried a book around with him. It's hard to know whether or not it is a Bible, his own book, or a Franklin planner. Who cares? He's gorgeous and the romantic lead--that's what he's there for and he does it well.
Much like a Hitchcock movie (there I go again), it is an enjoyable ride that dangles a major red herring. I am sure that most people will find it odd that I would compare what happens in Contact to Pauline at the Beach and Rashomon, but they are all of the same ilk. It's compelling and thoughtful film that stays with you long after the lights have come back on. I know I was not the only one who felt this way: More than few people lingered afterward, reluctant to leave the theater. Plus, it was a nice apology and antidote to Independence Day.
Based on a story by Ann Druyen and Carl Sagan.
The official homepage for Contact at http://www.contact-themovie.com is rather interesting, especially if your browser supports sound.
Other movie reviews by Seth Bookey are available at
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2679/kino.html
Copyright (c) 1997 Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021 USA,
[email protected]
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
