Contact (Snap Case)
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Movie Reviews of Contact (Snap Case)
Movie Review: Believe the Editors! A top five SF pick!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first DVD purchase, and I couldn't be happier. This is definitely one of the top five SF films of all time. I personally would place it third after 2001 and 2010, but ahead of any Star Trek or Star Wars film, as much as I enjoy them. Its strong points are its evocation of "sense of wonder" and intelligent treatment of a core SF theme; if you prefer action and special effects you would rank it lower. There are a lot of nice special effects here but they don't dominate the movie as in Star Wars.I don't know of any other film that gives such a balanced presentation of the conflict between science and religion. My only problem was the claim that "95% of the world's people believe in some sort of God", a figure which is preposterously high but goes unchallenged in the movie. Ellie (the protagonist) should have laughed at this claim rather than being cowed by it.
Things you should know:
-- This release is lean in extra features; there is no extra video included. The only substantial extras are annotated reconstruction of some special effects and three alternate audio-commentary sound tracks, one by Jodie Foster herself. For someone like me who would be entertained listening to her read a phone book, her audio commentary is a real bonus, like having her sitting there next to me explaining the movie(!)
-- On a standard TV the video shows in a relatively narrow band; it's in 2.35:1 format, which is as far as I know the narrowest presentation used for DVDs; it uses just slightly more than half your screen. You should not let this prevent you from buying the DVD; like me, you will *someday* get a widescreen TV, and it's still quite enjoyable on a standard TV.
Movie Review: Successfully Walks Between Fact & Fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
It may be understandable that "Contact" is well seen in Carl's adopted town of Ithaca, NY, where his wife, Ann, still lives. Ann has said that Carl would be proud and happy with this film.For me "Contact" was able to nicely walk the tightrope between fantasy and fact. A good many of the characters you see are based on real people that Carl knew in the SETI community. While we can't know what will happen when - and I do say when - we discover other life in the universe, "Contact" gives us a good account of the nobility that the human race will show when it happens (embodied largely in Ellie), the ignomy (embodied largely for me in the portrayal of the Government and David Drumlin), and the misplaced but sincere concern we'll all feel (embodied in Palmer Joss).
In the end "Contact" is actually not about the aliens. It's not about the search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. It's not about the science or the technology. Carl Sagan, as he did so many times, wrote a story about US - the human race, the human condition as we will be when we take that final, humbling step on the road Copernicus put us on so many centuries ago when he ripped the Earth from the center of the universe and put it as one of so many planets in the Solar System.
As such, "Contact" doesn't have to be seen as a Science Fiction film if you don't want to see it as such. You'll love this film if you've ever felt passionate about anything in your life. You'll love this film if you've ever had that passion challenged.
Heck, you don't even have to know what a radio telescope is! See this film. Who knows, we might see it in real life sometime.
Movie Review: No. 1 DVD - it doesn't get better than this
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent acting, outstanding directing and a thrilling story combine to produce an absolute masterpice of the science-fiction genre. SF - yes - but they make you believe it could happen exactly like this (and who knows - it might...). One of the most interesting facets of this movie is the fact that it has something that is rarely seen in Hollywood: a female heroine! Jodie foster brilliantly portrais a woman who is strong, intelligent, driven, courageous but also sensitive and emotional. Easily the strongest female character since Sigourney Weaver in "Alien". The DVD is a showcase in itself: the 5.1 digital sound is clearly the best in over 100 DVDs I've seen, extremely dynamic (if you have a subwoofer: tie it to the floor for the "liftoff" and journey parts of the movie or else it will bounce all across your living room), there are wonderful directional effects aplenty, the dialogues are crisp and easy to understand and the score is a beauty, too. For me the highlight are the full-length commentaries of Jodie Foster and director Zemeckis. They offer interesting and often humorous first hand insight into the making of this great movie. You learn a great deal about filmmaking (much more than through any "making-of" featurette), share toughts, feelings, even doubts of the people who brought this masterpiece to you and even learn about some memorable human episodes that happened during the shoot. Last but not least the image quality is very good, the contrast is high, the tonal balance is beautiful and the sharpness is way above what VHS could ever offer. This DVD is a true gem - I recommend it to everybody!Movie Review: Best sci fi ever in some ways
Summary: 5 Stars
I originally viewed this at the theater. Later purchased the DVD. And view the movie again from time to time. No other movie is as good to watch repeatedly as this one to me.
Jodie Foster does an excellent job in the key character of this movie. And a fine supporting cast do quite well working to make all the events seem plausibly quite real.
Of the negative reviews I see here, they seem to fall into three categories. One is people who knew nothing of Carl Sagan's writings. And think the movie should be juiced up. One is people who read the book and don't like the changes made. And finally those who don't like the treatment of religion or the manner in which the science seemed at odds with religion as portrayed here.
If you aren't familiar with Carl Sagan, then you are possibly looking for the wrong thing from this movie. It isn't a sci-fi thriller meant to mindlessly entertain for a short while.
If you don't like the changes from the book, well I think that a matter of taste. I thought the changes didn't diminish too much the ideas from the book. And some concessions have to be made when books become movies.
For those not liking the portrayal of science and the way it is sometimes at odds with religion I can only say it must have seemed that way to Carl Sagan. And I think it often is at odds. As we advance in science as a culture it will be more at odds in the future. Some compromises or changes will have to occur. This movie left that open ended. As it must do to be honest.
In my opinion, 5 stars all the way.
Movie Review: AMONG TOP 5 GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME
Summary: 5 Stars
During my theatre viewing of "Contact" I was seated in the back row. What I witnessed that was almost more remarkable than the film was what went on in the audience (or what did not go on) - During the entire duration of the movie NOBODY moved - no bathroom breaks, no popcorn runs. "Contact" was completely entralling. A wonderfully orchestrated concept in addressing some of the most difficult philosophical questions ever asked. A few great surprises to keep the audiences on the end of their chairs. How many people got goose bumps when Hadden says from the Russian spacestation: "Want to take a ride?" As I read some of these reviews my only comment for those slightly disappointed in not have the great visual alien revelation at the end is: Look beyond the physical, this movie is about ideas and intangibles, use your mind. I'm sure the Vegan alien would have had to work overtime to "make it easier" for you, too. And for those of you who think this is Sagan's way of saying there are aliens and flying saucers all around us - Wrong - this is actually Sagan's way (or science's way) of saying that if there was life out there, because of the vast distances, a transmitted signal would be the first (or most intelligent) way to try to communicate and not zooming around in flying saucers. Sorry, Roswell, I'd like to believe but as Jodie Foster says "I'd need proof, wouldn't you?" Carl Sagan believed it was possible. That's what "Contact" is about: "What If"...