Steven Soderbergh, who has tackled such hot-button topics as environmental pollution (Erin Brockovich), the war on drugs (Traffic) and epidemiological preparedness (Contagion) in the course of his multi-faceted career, takes on the pharmaceutical industry and the pills it promotes to treat depression in his newest film, Side Effects, which premiered Thursday night in New York at the AMC Lincoln Square. A thriller, Side Effects takes a closer look at antidepressant drugs -- and the writers and producers behind the film were not shy about their desire to explore the often-taboo topic. "There are a lot of people who suffer from depression, and a lot of those people are certainly helped by medication, the films screenwriter,Scott Z. Burns, said. "And then there are a lot of people who are sad, who are not depressed, who see ads on TV and feel these medications might be a shortcut to the place they want to go. And thats a concern. I think that when psychiatry is, like any branch of medicine, when its practiced responsibly, thats a great thing." The film stars Rooney Mara as Emily, a depressed woman whose husband (Channing Tatum) is unshackled after four years in prison for insider trading. … Continue reading →

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 cant 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 expos of a perceived epidemic of doctor-approved drug use (Burns also wrote Soderberghs 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. PHOTOS: I'm Quitting the Biz: 16 Hollywood Retirements (and 'Retirements') Depending upon exactly how you count, Soderbergh has directed about 27 feature films in the 24 years since he burst on the scene with sex, lies & videotape, a remarkable output given the two or three years it takes most major directors … Continue reading →