Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne has achieved an impressive body of work not only as an actor but as a producer and director. In his latest movie, he plays CDC Deputy Director Ellis Cheever, who leads the effort to protect and inform the public in the U.S after a frightening virus travels through several continents.
Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Ellis Cheever
When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from a business trip to Hong Kong, her presumed jet lag takes a virulent turn and two days later, she’s dead in the ER hospital, leaving doctors baffled as to the cause of her death. Soon after, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage…and ultimately, death.
Laurence Fishburne and Sanjay Gupta, MD
In Minneapolis, Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, the numbers quickly multiply, as the contagion sweeps across all borders, fueled by the countless human interactions that make up the course of an average day. One contact in one instant a lethal virus is transmitted and a global pandemic explodes.
Marion Cotillard (L) as Dr. Orantes, Chin Han (R) as Sun Feng
Directed by Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) and written by Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum”), “Contagion” captures the sobering desperation of humankind in the midst of a highly contagious global pandemic. Dark, emotional and deliberately paced, it avoids the often familiar played-out Hollywood theatrics settling instead for statistical data and filming in its simplest form.
Representing a cornerstone of that infrastructure is Fishburne’s character Ellis, who weighs the consequences of full disclosure against a wait-and-see approach that might save more lives in the long run. “He’s a smart, competent guy, the voice of reason,” says Fishburne of his character. “In his official capacity, he has a responsibility to protect the public and he takes that very seriously,” Fishburne continues. “He’s the one people look to for reassurance that everything is under control, that we have the best people working on the problem and it’s going to be fine.”
“Laurence is immensely credible as an authority figure, so commanding,” Soderbergh declares. Although it’s a familiar premise, Soderbergh builds on his subject matter without dampening its mounting tension or emotion and raises questions about what might happen—on a personal, national and global level—if an unknown and quickly replicating deadly disease was able to spread unchecked.
“I think it’s always compelling to watch people struggling with a real-world problem,” he continues, “Especially one with a ticking clock, where the stakes couldn’t be any higher.”
Also starring Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Sanaa Lathan, Kate Winslet and Jude Law, at the heart of the story is Matt Damon’s character, Mitch Emhoff, a family man who sees a homecoming turn into a nightmare when his wife Beth, played by Paltrow, returns from a business trip and becomes the first known fatality of a mystery illness.
After Beth’s autopsy, the local pathologist alerts the CDC and the hunt begins for answers, as researchers compare her symptoms with other recent deaths to determine the extent of the threat.
Rich in visual detail, the terror and panic that results from the epidemic is mirrored in the stark and sterile imagery. What makes “Contagion” so frighteningly fascinating is that it’s relatable especially with existing epidemics such as AIDS, SARS and the H1N1 virus.
Among those who contributed their time and expertise were world-class experts in the field of infectious diseases, W. Ian Lipkin, MD, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University and Larry Brilliant, MD, MPH, board-certified in preventive medicine.
During production, almost none among the cast and crew were immune to the anxiety “Contagion” stirred up about their everyday interactions, and it undeniably altered their behavior in subtle ways.
“I’m much more conscious of everything I touch and what people around me touch,” Soderbergh affirms. “I’m not turning into a germaphobe, but you really begin to see things differently. This film could do for elevator buttons and doorknobs what ‘Jaws’ did for going to the beach.”
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.
Photos courtesy of Claudette Barius
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