One of the truly great science fiction films of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 1999)

In an era of science fiction films where aliens are becoming increasingly unoriginal, and much less intelligent (their motherships' are now Macintosh compatible apparently), a film like "Contact" comes along, and makes us remember why science fiction can be one of the most intriguing genres in film.
This film ranks right up there with other remarkable science fiction films such as, "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". All are truly great films that show us aliens that are more human and realistic than the aliens from films like "Independence Day" and "The Astronaut's Wife" where all the aliens seem to want to do is destroy every new life form they meet. Which poses this question, why would they waste their time on us? Surely a race of beings who have conquered interstellar travel, would not see us as a legitimate threat. But then again, maybe they don't think as clearly as perhaps they once used to.
In the opening shot of the film, we are blessed with one of the great curtain-opening shots in film history. A remarkable pullback that starts at Earth, pulls back through the outer reaches of our universe, and gradually changes into the eye of our main character Ellie Arroway. This shot is a great summation of how movies can have a size as immense as the universe, and still be heartfelt and intimate at the same time.
Ellie played by Jodie Foster is a scientist who spends her time listening to radio waves from deep space. One night as she is listening to these, a clear signal comes through. It turns out that after all this time that we have been sending out information across the galaxy, someone has heard us and responded. As it turns out the message from space comes with instructions to build a machine. But what does the machine do? Is it a security risk to build it? Eventually it is believed that the machine is possibly a transport to another world, but the catch is, only one person may go. And this begins a debate between science and religion. Did the message in fact come from God? Should our first ambassador be a man of God, or a man of science? The film deals with these questions, and gives honest answers on both sides of the argument, and it does so with an intelligence that is rarely seen in the movies these days.
I won't spoil the ending, for it simply has to be seen to be believed. But I would like to congratulate everyone who was involved with the making of this film. From Robert Zemeckis' incredible direction, to Alan Silvestri's breathtaking score, to the wonderful performances of Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, and David Morse. If you have not yet seen this film, please do yourself a favor and see it. It is a brilliant science fiction film that will give you your faith back in the genre.