Andy Summers 🤠’s review published on Letterboxd:
Robert Zemeckis has a habit of making movies with an overly-sentimental touch that sometimes goes too far. The main reason why a lot of people hate Forrest Gump is exactly that and with this his 1997 follow-up he narrowly avoided more of the same.
Contact is a science fiction film about one woman's obsession to find extra terrestrial life. Working as a scientist for the SETI Program she uncovers what could be the biggest discovery in the history of mankind. Jodie Foster plays the single-minded Ellie Arroway, a passionate young woman who just happens to be present when her observatory unearths a message from beyond the stars. A message written in mathematics, the language of science, she is at the center of what becomes a circus as hidden inside the signal are schematics to what could be a transportation device. Will the powers that be build it? And if they do who will go and represent mankind?
It's a very original story that Zemeckis weaves here. We have the nerdy scientific stuff, an unorthodox romance, and conspiracy theories running wild as questions arise regarding the whole scenario as a hoax. Foster gives her all here with a spirited performance but does get overshadowed by some class acts on the periphery of things. James Woods takes the real acting plaudits here with his cynical tone and demeanor, and Matthew McConaughey open up the science over religion argument with some intriguing questions on faith. There are some interesting special effects used here and although the ending is a bit of a cop out, it is an engaging film with an intelligent premise.