our daily bore

Let us first forget about our critical selves that want deep stories of Oscar worhty movies. Let us, for this time, just enjoy the ride. Those maistream entertainment fare without complicated plots or brain-fucked endings. What we have now is a story that we already know the resolution even before the problem started. But I am not complaining.

Friends with Benefits is shallow yet unpretentious, cool and charming. The first scenes was a bit slow and dragging despite some witty banters. But after that first salvo, everything went as expected. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are beautiful non-couple with mutual understanding of sex and friendship. And it goes well. Or so they thought. Because, again expectedly, it turned out that they have feelings for each other. More than friends, that is. 

     And how can you get more mainstream and cliché than that? Complications and bruised ego, the cute dance number like our 80's Regal Films, the oversimplified solution to heartaches and family problems, etc.

Before we watched it, I was wondering why this movie isn't getting raves. Its director is Steven Soderbergh, the trailer is awesome and lots of big stars! So why not, indeed? But after watching it, I know the reason now. Actually, while watching it.. the first minutes will tell you why. It is flat, impersonal and got no climax or at least a character to root for, to care, or to hate. This is one of those movies of intent. 

Contagion presents a look at what happens when an infectious disease threatens humanity through varied viewpoints from an ensemble cast, including Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, and Kate Winslet.

We've seen this treatment before and we are not complaining. The disapproval is not in the pudding. But in the main dish.

The movie presented a "big" problem that audience can relate but might not care. This big problem, or the disease that threatens humanity, for me, should be the starting point or a backdraft of a personal struggle and emotional conflicts. But in Contagion, it is not.