Science vs. Faith

Rating: 8/10 (22 October 2002)

Contact (1997), directed by Robert Zemeckis may be a Sci-Fi movie, but for me it's first of all a philosophical one. If you expect an action movie with UFO's, such as Independence Day (1996), then you picked the wrong movie.

The movie's main theme is science vs. faith, and its moral is that there are things in life that one must accept without a proof. It raises questions like the existence of god, the existence of intelligent life somewhere in the universe, where we came from and what we're doing on earth (as a good example for taking some of these elements and ruining them, see K-PAX (2001)).
Technical aspect is top-notch: Excellent direction (Robert Zemeckis), cinematography (Don Burgess), music (Alan Silvestri, Zemeckis' regular), script (based on the novel by late astronomer Carl Sagan), sound, editing and breath-taking special effects - while a great portion of them is "natural" and hard to notice.
The impressive cast includes Jodie Foster (in an Oscar-worthy performance), Tom Skerritt, David Morse, James Woods, Angela Bassett, Jake Busey, the fabulous John Hurt, the always-annoying Matthew McConaughey, and many other guests.
8.5/10