Subject: Review: Contact (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Seth Bookey)
Date: 26 Jul 1997 14:56:51 GMT

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-masked]