Subject: Review: Contact (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Tony Tellado)
Date: 30 Sep 1997 04:08:46 GMT

Contact (review by Tony Tellado - Sci-Fi Talk)
CONTACT is by far the best movie of the summer. It's also probably the
most engaging SF film of the decade. Jodie Foster just can't seem to give
anything less than an Oscar worthy performance and her scientist Ellie
Arroway is no exception. The movie deals with her relationship with her
father who nurtured her interest in astronomy. David Morse plays a father
that is nurturing and supportive in a wonderful father-daughter
relationship. But the crux of the film deals with the long awaited answer
from outer space that we are not alone. The film follows her trials and
tribulations as she attempts to fund a project that listens for the signals
via radio telescopes and fights to keep her share of the credit. Matthew
McConaughey is impressive as the man in her life a religious man of faith
who conflicts with scientist Arroway's just the facts attitude. This is one
of the wonderful themes of CONTACT, the balance between science and faith.
It seems that we all need a little of both to venture out in space. The
cast includes James Woods as a wonderfully obnoxious Government official
and the seldom used Angela Bassett who shines. Tom Skerritt and John Hurt
of ALIEN fame add their talents to this ensemble, playing a cut throat
scientist and eccentric billionaire, respectively. Director Robert Zemeckis
of Forrest Gump fame has a reputation as a technical director, but handles
his actors very well here blending special effects nicely. They enhance the
story not dominate it. CONTACT is a story of exploration maybe not so much
of outer space but humanity, and our reaction to this type of even. The
film is dedicated to Carl Sagan who wrote the book along with his wife.
This is a wonderful legacy to a man who tried to make science fun for us
all, and shared his wonder of the universe

Copyright Ernest Lilley 1997 SFRevu