Subject: Review: Contact (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Chuck Dowling)
Date: 6 Jul 1997 17:22:20 GMT

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

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