Most intelligent sci-fi film to date

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 1999)

Combine the intelligence, creativity and workmanship of Carl Sagan, Jodie Foster, and Robert Zemeckis and how can you get anything other than one of the two best sci-fi films ever made (the other being 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY)? Start with Carl Sagan's extraordinary book (which, although the film follows it pretty faithfully, you should still read for further enrichment). Add the Zemeckis seamless cinematic execution and technical wizardry (a la FORREST GUMP and BACK TO THE FUTURE). Then give the lead to Jodie Foster and let her run with it. Foster is arguably the _only_ actress who could carry the character of Dr. Ellie Arroway: brilliant, enthusiastic, strong but vulnerable, and unself-consciously sexy.
Fine supporting performances are given by Matthew McConaughey (who in my opinion is unfairly trashed by critics), Tom Skerrit (who escapes the customary one-dimensionality of sci-fi antagonists), and David Morse. There are a host of walk-ons by journalists and public figures, from Dee Dee Myers up to Bill Clinton, but the best cameo is reserved for Rob Loew, who is _perfectly_ cast.
Zemeckis excels in fleshing out settings, and his efforts in CONTACT are among his best. The TV clips and the ad hoc RV city in the New Mexico desert are especially delightful. The big set piece, a catastrophic explosion, is also excellent; the sense of immediacy and sickening dread as the event unfolds is reminiscent of what one experiences when seeing actual video footage of an air-show crash or a race car careening into the crowd. Possibly the most memorable scene in the film is the opening astronomical sequence, which will equally delight the professional astronomer and the scientifically uninitiated. Just that one scene is worth the price of buying the movie to watch over and over.
The laserdisc transfer, which features Dolby Digital sound, is technically very good (especially the sound), although probably not among the very best. I would probably check out the DVD version first.