CONTAGION (Rated PG-13)

After watching “Contagion,” I may never again grab a fistful of nuts from a bowl sitting on a bar counter. It’s also not a good idea to shake hands with a butcher.

Many life lessons are to be found in the scientific thriller “Contagion,” the story of the fast spread of a deadly global plague.

The well-known actors that play pivotal characters are essentially accessory to the central story, and in some cases they prove expendable to boot.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Beth Emhoff, based in Minneapolis, travels the globe for her business. We spot her in Hong Kong, hobnobbing with executives at a party.

On her return to the states, Beth has a layover in Chicago, which has personal ramifications, but nothing central to the epidemic plot.

It’s upon her return home to her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) and young son that Beth’s health rapidly declines. She goes from feverish sweating to a brain hemorrhage and quick death in relatively short order.

Though the virus quickly takes the life of Beth and then Mitch’s son, it appears that Mitch is somehow immune to the disease and maybe the same holds true for his older daughter.

Meanwhile, reports are coming in from around the world, from major metropolitan cities to provinces in China about a lethal flu-like virus.

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, supervised by Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne), is the command center for coordinating emergency response teams around the country.

Kate Winslet’s Dr. Erin Mears is dispatched to Minneapolis to investigate the mysterious death of Beth Emhoff, the apparent first victim.

On the other side of the world, the World Health Organization dispatches Dr. Orantes (Marion Cotillard) to Hong Kong, which is suspected as the point of origin for the fast-spreading toxic disease.

Back in the states, Dr. Cheever is put in the unenviable position of dealing with news media reports which call into question his integrity after it is learned that he advised his wife (Sanaa Lathan) to get out of Chicago before it is quarantined.

Adding to the public turmoil is the involvement of a popular but annoying blogger named Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) who stokes fear and confusion with his unfounded conspiracy theories.

Is the rabble-rousing Alan serving a public purpose to alert everyone to the immediate dangers or are his motives steeped in opportunity to cash in for a big payday?

As panic takes hold, the inevitable chaos and mayhem follows. Looting and vandalism occur in markets and convenience stores. Riots break out when the government runs short on medical supplies. The nightmarish scenario seems all so plausible.

Director Steven Soderbergh does an excellent job of building tension with the lingering sense of trepidation that grips the public and medical community.

Matt Damon plays a masterful role as the persevering, resolute symbol of the common man trying to make sense of the world shattering and crumbling all around him.

As a matter of fact, CDC director Dr. Cheever and his staff are also doing their level best to race to find a cure amidst the usual bureaucratic bickering.

“Contagion” plays out a rather plausible scenario for a global pandemic, even if all of its parts are not entirely convincing. Moreover, it entertains as an unsettling medical thriller.

When somebody starts coughing in a nearby row at the theater, you may find it sensible to think about moving away to a safe distance.

Yes, “Contagion” should engender panic, fear and loathing, and even hypochondria. In recent memory, we have SARS, the swine flu and bird flu to thank for that.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Since we are on the topic of thrillers this week, it is an opportune time to note that the action-packed “Hanna” has been released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Saoirse Ronan stars as Hanna, a 16-year old girl raised in the desolate, icy wilds of Finland by her ex-CIA agent father Erik (Eric Bana) and trained to become the perfect assassin.

Every moment of Hanna’s childhood and adolescence has been spent building up the strength, stamina and survival instincts she needs to prepare for the day she must strike out on her own.

That day has now come; armed with the skills her father has imparted to her and the mantra “adapt or die,” Hanna must cross Europe and face her family’s longtime enemy, lethal intelligence operative Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett).

Both the DVD and Blu-ray feature an alternate ending and deleted scenes, along with commentary from director Joe Wright.

Naturally, the Blu-ray edition has more bonus features, including a look at the Chemical Brothers’ creative process of writing and scoring all of the music in the film.

In the spirit of Alan Krumwiede, let me just say there is a conspiracy to put the better bonus features on the Blu-ray editions, so that you’ll buy the more expensive product.

 

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.