Great Expectations

ill.

When the spectacle and brou ha ha (it's a word) surrounding this summer's blockbusters subsides in a few weeks time, we'll be left with something of a void in terms of brash, bold action to steer us out of summer and into autumn. Good.

Because this is the time where some really interesting films can emerge, lying as they do between the visual orgy of summer and the 'For Your Consideration'  baiting worthiness that has to be submitted prior to each year's end.  

So imagine how my contempt for most things very briefly almost made way for a period of joyous apathy when I heard about this: new Steven Soderbergh film (good start), starring Matt Damon (cool), Larry Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard (the best thing to come out of France since Dogtanian and Babybel), with the considerable back up talents of Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. Oh...............

Also ill.

But, doubts aside, only the hardest of hearts could deem this line up unimpressive, each of them leads in their own right. So, what kind of vehicle do they get? My money was on something tricksy yet fun, a kind of Ocean's Eleven crossed with a bit of derring-do and a flash of action/Cotillard's left boob.

Nope. Not even close. On October 21, we get 'Contagion'. A film about, and I quote:

       " the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak" (IMDB).



Please don't be like this



Er. What? Damon, Soderbergh, hundreds of millions of dollars, and we get a film about glorified FUCKING MAN FLU???!!!! Never let your synopsis contain the words "international team of doctors". It isn't sexy, in fact it conjures up images of a big screen version of 'Casualty', which no one needs in their life.

I expected spies! Sex! Action! Smarts!

NOT WHOOPING COUGH SODERBERGH! NOT FUCKING WHOOPING COUGH!



Tenuously linked jpeg



Of course, I speak out of turn. The track record of all the above is almost beyond reproach. With credits between them of the calibre of films such as 'Public Enemies' and the entire 'Bourne' series, they make up a fair share of my film going highlights over recent times. But it's just the.............the expectation. It's very hard to get worked up over pretty people getting ill.

Lest we forget, Soderbergh polarises opinion at the best of times (Full Frontal/Solaris), so this shouldn't come as a surprise as he's never been one to conform to audience expectation. So maybe my initial scepticism is a good thing. A sign of imminent satisfaction. After all, hype and fanfare inevitably only bring disappointment, so this stealthy approach may well be a good thing, a way of managing expectations only to stun us with cinematic gold at a later date.

In fact, yes, I see what you're doing Mr Soderbergh. You've compiled the plots of every film ever shown on Channel 5 in a deliberate attempt to trick us into cynicism and bubbling anger. Genius.

But I see you for what you are Soderbergh, and I predict that come October 21, what will be unleashed is a tornado of human drama, a scathing metaphor for society cloaked in a suffocatingly tense picture laden with action and emotion.

 Masterful.

 But if not, please at least show a bit of boob.