SYNOPSIS:
Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) finds herself sick while returning home from Hong Kong. But the virus she's infected with is highly contagious and kills most people it comes in contact with. Before long, there's a global pandemic and the worldwide medical community is racing to find a cure before panic and hysteria sets in.
REVIEW:
With the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading among our worldwide population, it was somehow soothing to see a film tackling the worst-case scenario of an outbreak. Unlike COVID-19, which has mild cold/flu symptoms and a low risk of death unless you're old and have a compromised immune system, the MEV-1 virus of the film kills quickly, taking 1/4 of all infected people within 48 hours. You get a chance to see what would happen in the case of a population-threatening outbreak.
The best part is that you get to see this pandemic from all sides. The film doesn't just follow a team of doctors or researchers trying to find a cure. You get Beth's husband (Matt Damon) as he deals with her illness. You follow CDC doctors (Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet) attempting to find the source of the virus and develop a working vaccine. You see a WHO epidemiologist (Marion Cotillard) get kidnapped in China and held for ransom, in order to provide a small village with the vaccine first. You see the government's military response (Bryan Cranston) as they work closely with the CDC. You get a conspiracy theorist with a popular blog (Jude Law) who accuses the government of creating a bio-weapon and hoarding the cure. He passes off a homeopathic cure derived from forsythias (a type of flower) as the solution, causing rioting and panic as drug stores are raided for the "cure."
As millions of people continue to die, public panic sets in and civil unrest unfolds. There's rioting, stealing, murder, and those closest to finding a cure are even targeted. The film presents itself more like a real-world tragedy than a fantasy story. There are no zombies, there's not a happy ending for everyone, and for the most part, there are no heroes. It's an incredible look at how bad it could really be.
The best part is at the very end, where they visually walk you through the origin of the virus and how it got into the human population. I'd actually seen the end of this film shared around Facebook and Reddit when fear of the Coronavirus started spreading, as an example how easy it is to spread diseases by not washing your hands. Practice basic hygiene and you'll be a million times safer, people!
RECOMMENDATION:
Depending on the type of person you are, this could either relieve you or upset you more. I, personally, felt relief about our current pandemic because it's nowhere near as bad as this film presented; just a mild inconvenience for most of us. But if you're prone to anxiety (like my wife), this film could up your panic levels. Regardless of which direction you lean, this film is a great insight into the process of dealing with a pandemic and I'd recommend it to anyone.
I like your review. I just want to point out you missed the most important part of the film. The kid named Andrew got the girl at the end. Even through her dad played by (Matt Damon) kept them away from each other. Nice guys may finish last but they always finish especially when they have the name Andrew.
ReplyDelete