contact ( pg )
there 's a moment late in robert zemeckis 's contact where i was reminded of why i started writing movie reviews in the first place .
we see a scientist , dressed in a silvery space suit , walking tentatively across a narrow walkway leading inside a compact , spherical space pod , unaware of what awaits when the ball literally drops .
anticipation , excitement , anxiety , fear -- the audience experiences it all the emotional tension right with the character , nervously , breathlessly eager to see what lies ahead .
it is this sense of discovery , the anticipation of which and its accompanying exhilaration , that makes this adaptation of the carl sagan novel such magical , captivating entertainment .
jodie foster stars as dr .
ellie arroway , a brilliant astronomer who dedicates her entire life to searching outer space for extraterrestrial radio signals .
and i mean life -- after losing her entire family when she was young , the only thing occupying ellie 's world is this quest to discover life beyond this earth .
after dealing with much skepticism on the part of government officials and wealthy financiers , ellie receives her vindication when she stumbles upon an incoming radio transmission from the distant star vega , which includes instructions on building an interstellar transport .
from this synopsis , contact does not sound too different to most films about alien contact , but there is a whole lot more to this intelligent film than the sci - fi hook .
the alien contact angle generates a great amount of suspense and awe , but perhaps more than anything else , contact is a character study of ellie , whose obsession with empirical , scientific evidence has erased all belief in a higher power .
the irony is that , while admitting to having no religious faith , she holds onto her belief in extraterrestrial life with such passion and conviction that it becomes , in a sense , a religion in its own right .
it would be easy for scripters james v .
hart and michael goldenberg , in trying to paint a positive image of the heroine , to champion her scientific beliefs over religious ones , but they wisely eschew easy answers , giving equal time to both sides , and in so doing depict ellie as not completely sane .
in the end , there is no right or wrong , nor is there one side that comes off more positive in the other , even slightly so -- there are just two very viable points of view , each with their own merits , each with their own faults .
the complex role of ellie is an actress 's dream , and foster , a virtual shoo - in for yet another best actress oscar nomination next year , more than rises to the challenge .
she conveys intelligence , determination , warmth , and , in a gutsy move , always on edge .
we root for ellie and feel for her , but we also feel at times that she goes too far .
contact is clearly foster 's vehicle , but others are given their chance to shine in smaller roles .
matthew mcconaughey , who receives outrageously high billing for his smallish role , holds his own as the religious counterpoint to ellie , spiritual scholar and government adviser palmer joss ( however , his main storyline , the tentative palmer - ellie romance , is the film 's weakest subplot ) .
john hurt is effectively creepy as s .
r .
hadden , the wealthy eccentric who provides ellie with her research funding . angela bassett continues to impress in her bit role as white house aide rachel constantine .
most memorable of all , though , are tom skerritt and james woods , who play rival scientist dr .
david drumlin and national security adviser michael litz , respectively ; both , especially skerritt , embody these asshole characters that the audience hissed just about every single one of their appearances .
zemeckis comes off of his three - year break in top shape .
always known as a director of effects - laden extravaganzas , it comes as no surprise that contact 's visual effects are quite stunning .
the central space journey is more than a little reminiscent of the close of 2001 : a space odyssey , but with more advanced technology at his disposal , zemeckis 's voyage is even trippier than stanley kubrick 's yet more wondrously pure . and zemeckis does n't resist the urge to use the always - interesting incorporate - actors - into - existing - film - footage effect , which is every bit as seamless here as it was in forrest gump .
effects , however , are confined to only a few scenes and clearly take a back seat to the drama , emotion , and pure wonder , which zemeckis proved to be quite adept at in gump .
it says a lot that , in a summer science fiction film such as this , it 's not so much the effects that stay with you as it is the drama and the issues that are raised .
the thought - provoking , two - hour - plus contact is a much - welcome change of pace from summer no - brainers , but the fact that it is a smart film does not mean that it also is n't entertaining .
for all the interesting questions it asks , the film is still what it 's being sold as-- " a journey to the heart of the universe . " and what a fascinating , unforgettable journey it is .
Output: P