This movie makes the Universe itself seem shallow

Rating: 4/10 (14 January 2005)

This movie is hopelessly inept, which is a shame since it initially promises entertainment AND enlightenment. We root for Dr. Arroway, the strong non-sexualized female scientist/protagonist. All is crushed, however, by the weight of solemn movieplex convention: shouting into the wind, unfolding steadycam vista with soaring soundtrack, eccentric billionaire and nefarious black shoe, and technology so shiny it resembles a high-end cosmetic counter. Ideationally, the movie has all the intellectual courage and wisdom of a Howard Hughes anti-commie second feature of the fifties starring a semi-sober star in retrograde. More specifically, the faith vs science argument is propped up, referenced, alluded to, and even enacted (at times), but nothing is resolved in a meaningful way. We learn that space is very very big, space travel is like a waterslide, that ancestor worship can pay spiritual dividends, and that science is very similar to religion, in that both can be overlaid with sloppy sentimentality and imbued with supernatural talismans of womblike delight. This movie makes the universe seem shallow.