Contact (1997) NO STARS out of ***** - Cast: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt, Angela Bassett, John Hurt, Rob Lowe, David Morse. Written by: James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg. Based on the novel by: Carl Sagan. Directed by: Robert Zemeckis. Running Time: 150 minutes.
Hollywood, and specifically Robert Zemeckis, has given me a cure for insomnia which will never fail to work. "Contact" is just about the most painfully slow, dull, and lifeless film I have ever had the misfortune to sit through in a movie theater.
Now, as I have been reading the advance reviews for "Contact" it seems that my opinion here is going to be in the minority. I've read statements like "It's one of the best films of the decade" and "Hollywood has finally come close to perfection". So I feel as though I'll need to over-justify many of my comments.
First off, I am all for long movies, just as long as it's a good movie. If a film can maintain it's level of entertainment, it can go on forever as far as I'm concerned. So when I say that "Contact" is way too long, which it most certainly is, don't dismiss it as that I just hate long movies.
Second, there doesn't have to be action or mayhem going on in a film for it to entertainment. I'm not a brainless drooler who's only entertained by stuff blowed up real good. Some of my favorite films are dramas, with very little going on in them. But they have a compelling story and characters who are interesting, unlike "Contact".
"Contact" is all about listening for radio signals from outer space for signs of intelligent life. Sounds exciting doesn't it? The opening shot of the film, a very lengthy pullback through the universe, shows us how far our own radio and television signals are able to reach. But this goes on WAY too long, and sets the stage for the film's utter boredom.
In the first 45 minutes, not much happens. You'd think that this would the time where characters are developed, but not so. There just really isn't anything going on. Astronomer Jodie Foster meets up with hunky Matthew McConaughey and the two immediately jump into bed together. This is character development?
Then, a signal is received from outer space. Finally, something interesting. But amazingly, the scene is so dull, and done with a total lack of energy that who would care? Foster discovers this signal, and then for ten minutes babbles nothing but complex scientific jargon about it to her co-scientists which left me completely lost. What exactly is going on? Take some advanced science classes and maybe you too can understand.
>From that point on, I was pretty much looking around the theater for something else to look at. So to go into the details about the remainder of the film would be impossible to do, since it never got more interesting than the theater ceiling. I do know that James Woods and David Morse are completely wasted in very small roles. Robert Zemeckis, please don't follow the path which you are on. Joel Schumacher awaits you at it's end. [PG]
-- Chuck Dowling
Visit Chuck's Movie Reviews at http://users.southeast.net/~chuckd21/ Over 1,600 movies rated and/or reviewed! Movie news, film related links, and reader's reviews.
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