# Side Effects - Blu-ray Review



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SEC.jpg[/img] 
*Title: Side Effects* 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
*Extras:* :2.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*80.5




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SE1.jpg[/img]*Summary*
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be buried alive? The helpless realization that you’re trapped in a box sealed-shut by hundreds of pounds of dirt. Your body still able to move but limited by the confines of its new quarters. All control stripped away. Your panic, no matter how urgent, falls on deaf ears. 

It’s a terrifying thought.

While _Side Effects_ has nothing to do with physically being buried, as I watched the film unfold I felt a similar anxiety as the characters become trapped in realities they’d rather avoid. The skillfully crafted plot covers some of the characters true motivations long enough to make the effect profound. It’s stressful to watch, but very entertaining.

_Side Effects_ is an intense and enthralling character-driven psychological thriller that twists and turns, flips and flops, and ultimately injects a load of intensity for a chilling finish. I have to admit, I’ve always been a huge fan of complex plots that change directions and throw audiences for a loop. _The Usual Suspects_ is a favorite film because it does this with such successful authority and believability that the twisting end is easy to embrace. It delivers a superior ‘a-ha’ moment in its finale. _Primal Fear_ (which starred a young Edward Norton as a murderous multiple personality adolescent) is another excellent thriller with a concluding twist, and in some regards it shares many qualities with _Side Effects_ because of its psychological underpinnings. _Side Effects_, much like the mentioned films, manages to run the gauntlet and evade snafus that ruin so many made-to-be tricky movies, and in so doing exhibits Steven Soderbergh’s (_Traffic_, _Contagion_) versatile directorial skills. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SE2.jpg[/img]
In the film, Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) is a young married woman that struggles with bouts of depression. Her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), is in prison for insider trading. Martin soon walks free and the young couple is reunited with hopes of regaining their future. Unfortunately Emily’s depression tightens its grip and she intentionally crashes her car into a wall. This is how Emily meets Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), a psychiatrist with a perfectly happy life. Emily becomes his patient.

Complications begin to occur when Emily isn’t responding to medications. Dr. Banks engages Emily’s old psychiatrist Dr. Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) looking to better understand her past. It turns out Emily is a complex patient with a long history of treatments. Ideas are bounced around, more medications fail to work, and Dr. Siebert casually suggests a new medication: Ablixa. Uh-oh, there’s only one problem. She forgets to mention a tiny little side effect: sleepwalking. 

As _Side Effects_ unravels, its storylines begin to weave themselves into a thrilling tale of murder, deception, innocence, and demise. On numerous occasions the film abruptly changes course and creatively shifts its primary focus from one character to another. This keeps the film fresh and invigorating. And the acting, with the exception of Channing Tatum (who mails in a performance worthy of a lesser movie) is superb. Law and Taylor are simply fantastic and Jones nails the role of a deviously smart individual.

*Rating:* 

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence, and language.


*Video* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SE5.png[/img] Universal Studios treats us to a beautiful 1.85:1 AVC-MPEG4 encode. The image is largely driven by haze/glow emanating from bright objects in the background of shots. This haze bleeds-over what would otherwise be sharp edges (such as the profile of a face). On rare occasions it seems to overly soften the image, but it generally lends to a dreamlike state carried by the film and is a nice effect. The film otherwise presents a sharp image full of incredible amounts of detail in both close-up and distant shots. Flesh tones appear to be accurate and natural, and facial detail is abound. The film’s color palate is relatively cool with a tilt toward a yellow-brown, but maintains vibrant greens and popping reds. Blacks are deep and inky with good shadow detail and no issues with noise. All-in-all, the image presentation is excellent.










*Audio* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SE4.jpg[/img] The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio presentation in _Side Effects _is solid from top to bottom and a total delight for the ears. The overall sonic impact of the film is anchored by the original score of Grammy Award winning Thomas Newman (_Skyfall_, _Shawshank Redemption_). It’s very reminiscent of his score heard in 1992’s _Scent of a Woman_ but much darker and sinister. Underneath of it’s angelic nature is a smooth foreboding bass and pulsating sounds that emphasize the tension and stress mounting within the lives of the characters. Surround activity is subtle but enveloping, which is to be expected for a drama thriller. Throughout the city-centric movie, surrounds are full of passing traffic (including a realistic portrayal of the muted rumbles of car engines as heard within city buildings), the subtle rumbles within the interior of a car, ambient echoes in rooms, and the pulsating low-end of a boat engine. The dialog presentation is excellent and strikes a perfect balance with the rest of the audio track. It is always clear and concise with all the appropriate nuances (such as a throaty depth to male voices) that one would expect. It’s one of the best dialog presentations I’ve heard in a long time. 

Overall, the audio presentation is potent for a film of this nature.








[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/news/SE3.jpg[/img]*Extras:* :2.5stars:

Behind the Scenes
Ablixa Website Experience
Ablixa Commercial
Intenin Commercial











*Overall:* :4stars:

_Side Effects_ is an easy movie to recommend, especially to fans of thrillers with complex plots. Except for Tatum’s ho-hum performance, its a solid film from beginning to end. Speaking of the end, for a brief moment I was persuaded it was bound to be rather ordinary. Luckily Soderbergh saved a few tricks to seal the deal. The film is bolstered by an excellent audio and video presentation. While I routinely frown when a movie is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the film’s transfer and overall image quality is top-notch. And the audio presentation is smooth and simply delicious. The only aspect of the release that weighs-down the overall score are the included Extras. I typically find _Behind the Scenes_ extras to be interesting and insightful. This release unfortunately contains a bizarre, sarcastic, and comedic attempt at a spoof _Behind the Scenes_ look. It is a total flop. Not to let that sour the overall package, I recommend this film to be an easy buy for fans of thrillers and mysteries, and a sure-shot rental for others. 

*Additional Information:*

Starring: Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Scott Z. Burns
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R
Runtime: 107 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: April 21, 2013


*Buy Side Effects Blu-ray on Amazon*

*Recommendation: Buy for collectors of thrillers, otherwise a solid rental​*


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## ericzim (Jun 24, 2012)

Great Review and a great movie, I recommend it to any one who likes a thriller with some good character development and a slow burn plot that quickens and thickens and twists all at the same time. I don't want to give anything away but I do have to say that the end isn't what I expected at all and I like that.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Thanks ericzim. I agree with you... especially about the ending. A lot of times these movies fail at the bitter end because of a snap of predictability. I think Side Effects dodges that bullet well. Very solid effort on all fronts.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

Thanks for the review, Todd! I really wanted to see this one in theaters, but missed it. I will definitely be checking it out soon!


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

It's an enjoyable movie... definitely going to stay in my collection for another viewing at some point down the road.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

this one's been on my radar for a while. I love Sodherberg and I've heard nothing but good things about this one. thanks for the Review Todd


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I watched this one last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, I am not sure whether or not it is an absolute-must for a second viewing or not. I am a big, big fan of Rooney Mara's though, so I might have to pop this one in again just for her performance. She just astounded me in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and even in her small role as Erica Albright in The Social Network.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Jon Liu said:


> I watched this one last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, I am not sure whether or not it is an absolute-must for a second viewing or not. I am a big, big fan of Rooney Mara's though, so I might have to pop this one in again just for her performance. She just astounded me in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and even in her small role as Erica Albright in The Social Network.


I love Rooney Mara too. I'm still shocked that she's the sister of Kate Mara (the girl from "shooter")


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

Yep! After The Social Network came out, I "imdb'ed" her and found that out, too.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks for the review Todd. Really enjoyed this one and loved the twists at the end. I agree that Channing Tatum was the weak link in the cast but really his performance was short lived. This was a blind buy for me a a worthy addition in the Blu-ray collection.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Sure thing! Tatum is one of those actors... you kind of know what you're going to get. He's definitely not a deal breaker in this one, that's for sure. Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!


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## TheLaw612 (Jan 17, 2012)

Definitely going to check this one out - it looks to be right up my alley. I'm not a Tatum fan at all, I think he's pretty terrible. Regardless, the wife and I will watch it this weekend.


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## TheLaw612 (Jan 17, 2012)

My wife and I watched this over the weekend and we both gave it a B-. 

Todd you were spot on in saying that everyone with the exception of Tatum gave solid performances. I think Mara gave a really chilling performance and the sleep walking scenes really creeped us out haha.

Enjoyable but I'll pass on buying it.


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## jon96789 (Mar 21, 2013)

I enjoyed this movie... It was not a typical suspense movie but the plot twists was unique.


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## dasha (Nov 28, 2013)

Good review! I liked it very much


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