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Side Effects

Side Effects (2013)

February. 08,2013
|
7.1
|
R
| Drama Thriller Crime

A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.

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Reviews

Beanbioca
2013/02/08

As Good As It Gets

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CrawlerChunky
2013/02/09

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

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filippaberry84
2013/02/10

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

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Nayan Gough
2013/02/11

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

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Michael Ledo
2013/02/12

Emily (Rooney Mara) is clinically depressed. She has been seeing a psychologist (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Her white collar criminal husband (Channing Tatum) is getting out of jail, which leads to more depression. Having failed a suicide attempt, Emily is placed on medication and does the unthinkable. At this point the film goes into an odd mystery/thriller, one where everyone knows who done it. Just when you think you have it figured out, it twists, having more twists than Taylor Swift having break-up songs. Jude Law plays Dr. Jonathan Banks, a man caught in the middle of all of this.I didn't know what to expect going into this feature. It is best not to read the reviews as it is impossible to write anything without giving away too much of the plot. If you like mystery thrillers with twists and clues that hurt your head like a Hitchcock masterpiece, this one will fit the bill. If you know anyone who takes meds for depression, then you can enjoy the film on a different level.Parental Guide: F-bombs, sex, very brief nudity (Rooney Mara)

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Stephen Bird
2013/02/13

An all too real possibility of what can happen when you're under the influence of drugs, even prescription drugs; "Side Effects" hit home hard with me purely because I am on the same kind of medication poor Emily was subjected to in this film. Well thought out and well made, "Side Effects" doesn't show off or dazzle as films generally try to do, instead it's a wake up call for people in reality..., there's a fantastic twist to the tale in the end, that Emily was faking depression and mental illness in order to knowingly murder her husband.The acting was great especially from Jude Law, although Rooney Mara seemed to be disinterested at times and appeared to be just going through the motions; Channing Tatum is a fine young actor with bagfuls of talent, it was a shame to see him killed off before the film really started to pick up, although this of course was a necessity.The film promised to be a bit a dull so thank goodness for the amazing plot twist during the final third, it helped notch the overall film up a few points. Indeed the beginning was something of a screw you to pharmaceutical companies, until the plot swerved away from that device with its clever twist.It was sad to see Hollywood using mental illness as a subject for a plot, especially when they pretty much butchered it like they did, other films have used the subject of mental health in a far more respectful way, it was way borderline for sure.

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Liz Fickenscher
2013/02/14

I really didn't know what to expect when I watched this. I didn't hear about it when it came out - though I'm told it was well-received and much-talked about. I found it while hunting around for something to watch on OnDemand. What a fun story! It's clever to start the film from one perspective and slowly shift to another. Rooney Mara was superb. At first I thought she was lifeless and wooden, but I really thought about her character and her performance was spot-on. I don't usually like Jude Law, but he was great in this. Ultimately, though, there's no greater talent in the film than the direction of Steven Soderberg. This movie tastes like one of his, and you can see his fingerprints all over it. It's a totally satisfying psychological thriller that I thought about for a few days after it was over.

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Beto Ramona
2013/02/15

I sustain the @acutler's review. As the movie starts going deeper in terms of rapport, I feel the presence of a different aura, mostly due to the lack of grace that the characters can offer, and fundamentally, if you cannot feel any sympathy with the characters, why on earth would you even care about the plot, whatever it is? That being said, I do have to concede that Mara's acting was on point, and their companions Law and Zeta-Jones made all the justice they could to the project. Aside, I must say: Rooney Mara is a serious prospect of a great gig in the sky. It's just a matter of time, choice and work. Then, I Like: Performances of the main actors and some picked scenes along script lines. I don't like: Needless script goofs, characters shallowness and apathy (the latter doesn't work in here). It's safe to say that there's no way in hell this movie was the same thing without this relevant cast. Well done, casting guys. As acudler said: "It is better than most films, but only just."P.S. A detail I couldn't pass through was the awful costume design for Zeta-Jones from which they tried to sell her as intellectual looking or an actual psychiatrist, with that bad glasses choice. Sorry, I had to warn you. It's a very poor choice. Six just for that, because I love visuals. I'm a designer after all, but this is not quite the best movie to talk about design, is it? Could be a seven but Jude Law didn't receive what he deserved. Ups.

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