Side Effects

Sad. Quiet. Anxious. These are a few words that could easily describe Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) upon first seeing her in Steven Soderbergh's Side Effects. Those moods could be explained by her husband Martin (Channing Tatum) being released from prison, but there might be something more deep-rooted.

At least that's what her psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) thinks. He sees Emily as initially as a woman on the verge of self-destruction. (After all, they first meet after Emily tried to kill herself.) It's not until much later on that he finds out what she's capable of.

Mara is absolutely great here. It takes real skill for an actor to switch emotions in the blink of an eye. Mara does that very thing here and boy, is she good at it. I can tell her Hollywood career will be long and plentiful.

I can't go on without talking about Law's work. Possibly one of the more underappreciated actors working today, Law showcases that he's more than just a pretty face. You can just see how horrified he slowly becomes as the film progresses. (Seriously, how does he not have better roles now?)

Side Effects is really great. Just when you think you've gotten everything, it pulls a new stunt. It's practically a shame that Soderbergh is retiring. He definitely has a few more films in him. (Oh, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is all sorts of bewitching femme fatale material.)

My Rating: ****1/2