Contagion - An Epidemic of Fear

Production and year: USA, 2011 Original title: Contagion Genre: Drama Director: Steven Soderbergh Screenplay: Scott Z. Burns Cast: Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow Medical topic: an epidemic of an unknown virus-borne disease Description: A deadly virus begins to spread rapidly around the world. The first person to die in the United States is Beth (Paltrow), who is returning from a trip to Hong Kong. A few hours after her death, her young son dies. Dr. Erin Mears (Winslet) is called in to assess the threat. It turns out that the virus is composed of DNA from a bat and a pig. Dr. Orantes (Cottillard), an expert in epidemiology, adds to her scientific analysis of the virus with the statement: “The wrong pig met the wrong bat.” The receptors to which the virus binds are located in the respiratory and nervous systems, and the pathogenic molecule itself is constantly mutating. The plot thus begins to move at an increasingly rapid pace. Eventually, Dr. Orantes manages to find a vaccine. Even before he takes it to his sick father, he’s already thinking about the Nobel Prize. A lottery is organized in the United States. Those born on March 10 will be the first to receive the vaccine. Those who were unlucky will have to wait a year. Etc., etc. At the very end, we see an interesting flashback showing how the virus came to be.  The movie is weak, but undoubtedly related to medicine. It was also interesting to see Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard in the roles of doctors.