Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • February 20, 2013 Soderbergh thriller contains engaging surprises by Dennis Seuling “Side Effects” is both an exciting thriller and a cautionary tale about the downside of the ever-proliferating miracle drugs marketed to the public. It is also an intelligent drama of a young woman’s troubling experiences with an assortment of psychiatric drugs. Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) has been under a great deal of stress. Her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), was incarcerated for insider trading and is about to be released. She has stood by him, but she feels previous anxieties resurfacing and consults Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), who is sympathetic and asks her about her past difficulties. She mentions that she had previously seen a Dr. Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Dr. Banks visits Siebert, who fills him in on Emily’s history and previous medications. Banks prescribes one drug after another, but Emily is unable to tolerate them and is beset by upsetting side effects. Finally, Banks prescribes a new drug on the market, Ablixa, which is supposed to have milder side effects than other drugs. However, the product is not as advertised, and Emily develops a propensity for sleepwalking. The over-prescribing of antidepressant drugs is certainly a major theme, but the suspenseful opening of the film indicates that “Side Effects” is not merely a public service announcement. Director Steven Soberbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns have crafted a fascinating, multi-layered drama in which the main story reveals several underlying stories. A series of mysteries is revealed and keeps viewers involved. Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) plays the enigmatic Emily in a state of foggy awareness appropriate for a woman who has been depending on drugs to function. She is sympathetic and is described as a wounded bird -- sad, vulnerable, and incapable of simple daily activity without medication. In Dr. Banks, she has a savior, a man who not only looks out for her mental welfare but also goes the distance to help her reclaim a normal life. However, Dr. Banks accepts money from a major pharmaceutical company when a new drug needs testing, a factor that complicates his treatment of Emily. This is Law’s best, meatiest role in some time. His Dr. Banks is the key to discovering Emily’s problem, asking questions that may not have been asked before. Law plays the part with increasing levels of frustration. Initially, he is all solid professional, distancing himself from a relationship other than patient/doctor, but when serious questions about medication arise, he realizes, as the prescribing doctor of record, that he has been drawn into an escalating nightmare of his own. Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum star in ‘Side Effects.’ Rated R for violence, strong language, and sexual situations, “Side Effects” is carried by Mara and Law, although all four leads are billed equally. Thrillers run a precarious tightrope. If there is not enough tension, the film is mundane and uninvolving. If amped up too much, it can become a cartoon. Soberbergh walks that tightrope adroitly, manipulating the audience just enough, keeping the characters fascinating, and supplying a few surprises along the way.