Side Effects: Film Review

In what he insists is his final big-screen feature film, at least for the foreseeable future, Steven Soderbergh employs his dramatic know-how and superior craftsmanship to initially lure you into a story that you ultimately can’t buy into at all in Side Effects. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns’ story of a young wife whose well-being and behavior are seemingly impaired by a succession of prescription drugs has the veneer of a serious exposé of a perceived epidemic of doctor-approved drug use (Burns also wrote Soderbergh’s recent mass-infection thriller Contagion). But in trying to merge this alarmist theme with an old-fashioned murder mystery, the filmmakers throw at least one plot-twist sucker-punch too many, leaving the viewer with an “Oh, come on” reaction to the entire film. Despite the classy pedigree and fine cast, Open Road likely will drum up only limited business for this nicely wrapped package in specialized release.Related StoriesMoviesSteven Soderbergh's 'Presence' Trailer Takes...