Robert Zemeckis' best film so far

Rating: Null/10 (1 February 2001)

Contact is Robert Zemeckis' best film so far. In this film about a driven scientist -played by a driven Jodie Foster- every scene is interesting and the story manages to thrill all the way through. There are so many characters, locations, events and situations in it that are captivating and worked out splendidly that watching this film is a very pleasant experience from start to finish. Sure, there are some weaknesses, like having Jodie Foster drink beer straight from a bottle at the beginning to tell us she may be a scientist but is also a working girl, and having her character make love to Matthew McConaughey's character to tell us she is not male-shy or lesbian. Another flaw is the stereotypical representation of the religious fanatic who, of course, has long white hair. But at the same time it is a nice caricature and it works in the film. And the fact that it is not very realistic sometimes (John Hurt's character is utopian) only adds to the strength of Contact.
The film is not just a science fiction fantasy, it also satirises religion, the academic world, the military and media hysteria. A crucial element in this light is Tom Skerritt's character of an ambitious, sanctimonious and arrogant academic who likes to show off with other people's achievements as if they were his own. I was never much of a fan of Skerritt, but in Contact he is well-cast and he does a good job.
Most of the credit goes to Foster, writer Carl Sagan and Robert Zemeckis. With this film Mr. Zemeckis has convinced me that blockbuster directors can be talented, creative and original directors. I can't bear to think of the results if they had called in someone like James Cameron to direct this film.