Contact (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) has spent her entire life searching for radio proof that intelligent aliens exist. Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey) has spent his entire life looking for truth in God. And when Ellie discovers an incredible message from an extraterrestrial intelligence, she, Palmer, & everyone else on Earth will be forced to answer their own questions about life's uncertainties. This sums up 'Contact', an intelligent, beautiful sci-fi flick directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film opens with an absolutely gorgeous prologue (of sorts), followed by meeting 9 yr. old Ellie (Jena Malone). She's an aspiring scientist with an acute fascination for both astronomy & short wave radio. Her dad (David Morse), an English teacher, has taught Ellie all about the beauty & majesty of the stars. Tragically, he dies rather young. And as a disenfranchised orphan, Ellie throws every fiber of her being into becoming what her daddy hoped she could be.
We then see her (as Jodie Foster) as a promising researcher for the SETI Institute (studying extraterrestrial intelligence). And her obsession with finding evidence of life aside from Earth is as strong as ever. It is in Puerto Rico, where she meets religious scholar, Palmer Joss. They start an affair, but it is short lived. That's because the President's National Science Advisor (Tom Skerritt) pulls the plug on Ellie's precious SETI project. Forced to find private funding for her work, she receives it from the unlikeliest of places; a billionaire named S.R. Hadden (an eccentric John Hurt). Now with the $$ she needs, Ellie finds a spot to research on New Mexico's VLA radio telescope range. There, she discovers a mysterious message from the star Vega; one that indicates intelligent life forms. Once confirmed, the media blitz becomes deafening. And along with the reporters, her skeptical colleagues, & National Security Advisor Michael Kitz (James Woods), Ellie is met with even more resistance; including the military. Everything culminates in one of the most stunning, haunting, & ethereal climaxes of recent film history.
'Contact' isn't the best film of the year, but it's awfully close. And it IS right up there with the Space Odyssey films & Close Encounters of the Third Kind; I think I personally even prefer this film to those 2. This is the rare big-budget film that encompasses interesting ideas (media’s role in shaping science, religion, etc.), rootable characters, stellar acting (David Morse lends a very touching performance), great pyrotechnics, fantastic special effects (which aid the story, not detract from it), & an emotionally satisfying conclusion. One note on the effects: just as Zemeckis did on Forrest Gump, he integrates his effects into history. Here, he puts words in President Clinton's mouth which makes you think he's actually talking about plot points in this movie; great dubbing.
Jodie Foster is sublime as our protagonist. The courage, hope & passion she displays is uncanny. Based on a popular novel, this film is apt to have its detractors. There are some far-fetched parts, obviously (within the genre). But they're handled, in this film, with reasonability. Not only is the film about outer space intelligence/the supernatural, but it's also about Ellie herself. She wants to find meaning in outer space, but also meaning in her own somewhat-directionless life. She wants to know why we're here, who we are, etc. And she finds her answer (or at least on the path to understanding) in the wonderful ending; blending sci-fi elements with her own personal life story. The film may be a tad long. Some of the subplots/themes get undercooked. And the momentum comes & goes within the script. But 'Contact' is an important film about today's social, political, spiritual, & philosophical issues. Really absorbing. Really fantastic.
We then see her (as Jodie Foster) as a promising researcher for the SETI Institute (studying extraterrestrial intelligence). And her obsession with finding evidence of life aside from Earth is as strong as ever. It is in Puerto Rico, where she meets religious scholar, Palmer Joss. They start an affair, but it is short lived. That's because the President's National Science Advisor (Tom Skerritt) pulls the plug on Ellie's precious SETI project. Forced to find private funding for her work, she receives it from the unlikeliest of places; a billionaire named S.R. Hadden (an eccentric John Hurt). Now with the $$ she needs, Ellie finds a spot to research on New Mexico's VLA radio telescope range. There, she discovers a mysterious message from the star Vega; one that indicates intelligent life forms. Once confirmed, the media blitz becomes deafening. And along with the reporters, her skeptical colleagues, & National Security Advisor Michael Kitz (James Woods), Ellie is met with even more resistance; including the military. Everything culminates in one of the most stunning, haunting, & ethereal climaxes of recent film history.
'Contact' isn't the best film of the year, but it's awfully close. And it IS right up there with the Space Odyssey films & Close Encounters of the Third Kind; I think I personally even prefer this film to those 2. This is the rare big-budget film that encompasses interesting ideas (media’s role in shaping science, religion, etc.), rootable characters, stellar acting (David Morse lends a very touching performance), great pyrotechnics, fantastic special effects (which aid the story, not detract from it), & an emotionally satisfying conclusion. One note on the effects: just as Zemeckis did on Forrest Gump, he integrates his effects into history. Here, he puts words in President Clinton's mouth which makes you think he's actually talking about plot points in this movie; great dubbing.
Jodie Foster is sublime as our protagonist. The courage, hope & passion she displays is uncanny. Based on a popular novel, this film is apt to have its detractors. There are some far-fetched parts, obviously (within the genre). But they're handled, in this film, with reasonability. Not only is the film about outer space intelligence/the supernatural, but it's also about Ellie herself. She wants to find meaning in outer space, but also meaning in her own somewhat-directionless life. She wants to know why we're here, who we are, etc. And she finds her answer (or at least on the path to understanding) in the wonderful ending; blending sci-fi elements with her own personal life story. The film may be a tad long. Some of the subplots/themes get undercooked. And the momentum comes & goes within the script. But 'Contact' is an important film about today's social, political, spiritual, & philosophical issues. Really absorbing. Really fantastic.