Contagion (Soderbergh)

[D_Davis]

Great looking and sounding film. Probably one of my favorite scores of the year, and that's pretty much what I would expect from Cliff Martinez.

[Kurosawa Fan]

This movie reminded me of most of Soderbergh's recent output. Engrossing and captivating but the material is handled in a very superficial manner. It seems like Soderbergh is more interested in juggling subplots than saying anything particularly meaningful. Most of the movie was pretty forgettable although the final scene was a nice, surprising touch.

Felt identical. Interesting, sometimes fascinating, but far too clinical to leave much of a lasting impression. The beginning of the film made me want to go wash my hands.

[EyesWideOpen]

I don't think that's Matt Damon.

[Ezee E]

I don't think that's Matt Damon.

It's not. Duke thought it was a while ago.

[Izzy Black]

Soderbergh is a formalist. It's best to think of him that way.

I thought Jude Law's character was a bit over-the-top and unconvincing. He struck me as a caricature. It didn't jive well with the film's overall sense of realism. Aside from that, I really liked this picture.

And am I the only one who prefers Soderbergh's post-Ocean's Eleven work?

[Pop Trash]

And am I the only one who prefers Soderbergh's post-Ocean's Eleven work?

I think they are underrated, as is Soderbergh in general. I've never quite understood why he never had the drooling fanboy following of, say, PT Anderson, Fincher, or Tarantino.

[number8]

I think they are underrated, as is Soderbergh in general. I've never quite understood why he never had the drooling fanboy following of, say, PT Anderson, Fincher, or Tarantino.

I'm guessing because those three never made Erin Brockovich.

BAZING.

[Izzy Black]

I think they are underrated, as is Soderbergh in general. I've never quite understood why he never had the drooling fanboy following of, say, PT Anderson, Fincher, or Tarantino.

Yep. Soderbergh gets no love. But in the case those guys, my guess is because they make movies for Guys Who Like Movies. Soderbergh is too delicate for fanboys.

[Robby P]

Nothing says Macho Guy Movie like Punch Drunk Love and Magnolia.

[D_Davis]

I'm guessing because those three never made Erin Brockovich.

BAZING.

Those three also never made Out of Sight.

[Raiders]

Soderbergh always has an angle with his films, which is what I respect. By this I mean he always has some formalist idea to bring to the film. But, I don't think he has managed to top what he did with the jazzy rhythms of Out of Sight (though Ocean's Twelve came damn close and is definitely my favorite of that trilogy) or the rather profoundly meta The Limey. I also adore King of the Hill, definitely the most woefully underseen of his films.

[Izzy Black]

I echo the (unpopular) sentiment that Twelve is the best of the series. I would also second the claim that Ought of Sight is perhaps one of his finest (and arguably most influential) formal achievements. I still think that his best or at least most interesting work comes post-Eleven, with Solaris and Twelve at the forefront of his portfolio.

[Dukefrukem]

I echo the (unpopular) sentiment that Twelve is the best of the series. I would also second the claim that Ought of Sight is perhaps one of his finest (and arguably most influential) formal achievements. I still think that his best or at least most interesting work comes post-Eleven, with Solaris and Twelve at the forefront of his portfolio.

The silly Red Sox Yankees ending? :lol:

[transmogrifier]

Well, make that three of us that prefer Ocean's 12 over the other two in the series. But Soderbergh's crowning achievement is still Out of Sight. His best since then has been The Informant!. He's a weird director in that you never really think of him as having much of a signature style, but then you watch something of his and you're like, this is such a Soderbergh movie.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Hate to make it seem ordinary, but I also prefer Ocean's 12 to the other two in the trilogy, and think Out of Sight is his best film, and included it in my top 100 way back when. The Limey would likely run a close second. I think where I seem to separate myself from most is that I think Traffic is pretty fantastic, though I haven't seen it since the year it was released on DVD, so perhaps that opinion would change with another viewing.

[Winston*]

Oceans 12 is awful.

[Ezee E]

I also like Ocean's 12, but I'm in the high minority when you take this out of Match Cut.

[Izzy Black]

I suppose on MC I should expect more agreement with my tastes than less. You guys make it much more difficult to be a contrarian!

[Irish]

I've never quite understood why he never had the drooling fanboy following of, say, PT Anderson, Fincher, or Tarantino.

Because he's all over the map, going from indie gangster movies to family films to Oscar bait dramas to mainstream comedies to experimental stuff. On one hand, it's cool that he's going for some artistic range, on the other there's something to be said for consistency.

And fanboys demand consistency above most other things. You walk into a movie by those other guys, you know exactly what you'll be getting. But somebody who loved The Limey or Out of Sight and checks out Brokavich or The Girlfriend Experience or Solaris is going to be all, "... the fuck?" fifteen minutes in.

His filmography reminds me a little bit of Alan Parker, who's made some pretty well known, big commercial films, but nobody ever talks about him. He once said that his career goal was to make a movie in every genre. That's a commendable thing to reach for, but it's also a difficult thing to build a following around.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Shit, I forgot about Solaris. That's my #2 Soderbergh for those scoring at home. That's what I get for trying to go off the top of my head.

[Izzy Black]

I agree Soderbergh's polystylism is alienating and no doubt contributes to resisting that kind of audience, but it's also important to note that the aforementioned directors had fanboys after only one film. It took only one film for Tarantino to have fanboys, same for Fincher and Anderson. Soderbergh doesn't really have an iconic 'fanboy' film of that caliber. The closest he's got is Sex, Lies, and Videotape, which is merely iconic for its indie status and influence, not because it's the kind of film that could engender an audience of fanboys, particularly given its thematic focus.

[Irish]

There's a few things at play there.

Soderburgh got a huge start but then essentially dropped off the face of the earth for 10 years, half a generation. He also didn't have the benefit of the Internet to fuel fanboyism, which Fincher and Anderson had just as their careers took off.

Soderburgh, as I said, is much more mainstream and less artistically rigid than the others (I can't think of anyone who sucks all the air out of a room quite like PT Anderson). He also doesn't pander to a specific audience (as Tarantino does).

I dunno if these other guys had fanboys as immediately as you say. It seems to me more th built up over a 5 year or so period, because they were able to consistently turn out very similar sorts of movies.

Soderburgh wasn't able to do that, or really, hasn't shown much interest in doing it.

[Izzy Black]

I am not sure what you mean by dropping off the face of the earth for ten years. He's been releasing quality films almost every year or every other year since his debut. I've followed his career since Videotape. I also don't think it's accurate to call Soderbergh more mainstream than Tarantino, Fincher, and Anderson. I'd say they are all pretty comparable commercially and critically.

As for fanboyism, in many ways, I think Tarantino and Kevin Smith gave rise to the very first wave of fanboyism with Pulp Fiction and Clerks, respectively. Tarantino garnered a cult following of geeks much like Nolan did with Memento, Fincher with Fight Club, and Anderson with Magnolia. These films are all hallmark examples of fanboy iconography, as far as I can tell. Soderbergh simply doesn't have a film like that. I don't think he appeals to that kind of audience, in part because of his polystylism, as you note.

I agree that Soderbergh hasn't capitalized on a particular style the way these other filmmakers have, but I don't think he ever garnered the level of cultic attention around a particular film in the way these guys did.

[Izzy Black]

A useful way of thinking about it is to take the directors out of the equation. Soderbergh doesn't have a film that has enjoyed the kind of cult following films like Memento, Pulp Fiction, Magnolia, and Fight Club have, that's to say nothing of their directors.

[transmogrifier]

That's the key point, I guess. Soderbergh has not made a film as good as Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Seven or Fight Club. Out of Sight is his closest, and I love it, but it is a rung lower than those other films.

I think it is cute how much Irish hates PT Anderson. Artistically rigid? Sucks the air out of the room? That shit doesn't even make sense. But I admire the forthright, consistent way he peddles this nonsense.