MOVIE REVIEW - Side Effects

February can be movie release purgatory, but the new Side Effects can help stem that tide, at least this year.

Great cast with Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum and others turn a real nice story into a real mind bender thinking man's movie.  Side Effects cuts through so strong right now, because it is easily the smartest movie that's been released in a while.  Should be noted in fairness to movie goers, this is not a "Channing Tatum" movie.

This is the story of Emily (Mara) a seemingly troubled young woman who is married to Martin (Tatum).   Martin is just getting out of prison for stock market fraud, and is adjusting to life with his wife after 4 years apart.  Emily is having a tough time.  She starts to see a young Dr. Banks (Law) for therapy.  He prescribes her a new depression medicine that gives her terrible side effects.  Martin ends up dead, and now she is accused of his murder.

Seems that this medicine has a checkered past, and has a volatile stock market past as well.  As Emily's murder trial commences, and there seems to be something else working underfoot.  A former Dr. of Emily's (Zeta-Jones) is now in the mix, and it seems that Dr. Banks is going to take the fall for the whole deal.  But he fights back to learn the truth, whatever it is.  That in a very short capsule is Side Effects.

This is a really nice movie in the long run.  I will admit, it stumbles a bit out of the blocks and gets off to a rather sluggish start. I found it hard to stick with for the first 25 minutes or so.  But it gets better.  And in the end, turns out to be a very good story.   I always think that Law picks smart projects and this is as he is very good here.  The insanely talented, and alluring Rooney Mara is bracing for big stardom.  She of course came to be, as the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  She is again splendid as the tortured woman fighting against all odds.   She is terrific in this movie.  She has a great look and has the innate ability to have you look squarely in her eyes while on screen.   Zeta-Jones has a big role and it's good to see her back in a larger task.

I have not decided if this is really that good, or if it just looks good next to all the mid-winter action flicks out right now.  But one thing is for sure, the story here gets big points. It keeps you guessing and involved the whole time, especially after the slow start.  This is a nice ensemble movie.

Side Effects.  Good, solid movie!