Rooney Mara the New Lead in Side Effects
Deadline broke the story that newly Oscar-nominated Rooney Mara has been cast in the new Steven Soderbergh/Scott Z Burns joint where she’ll play the central character in the grips of drug addiction, sexual infidelity, and eventually murder. Press spasms about Blake Lively having been originally cast but then dropping out are attached to the story. Mara is one of those actresses whose face plays out the details of her inner world in fascinating ways. One of the best things about her is that she rarely smiles but when she betrays herself completely.
Screenrant gives plot details, as follows:
Side Effects revolves around Emily Hawkins (Mara), a prescription drug-addicted woman who is attempting to cope with severe anxiety and depression. Her condition is only heightened by the impending release of her husband (Tatum) from prison, as well as an affair she has been conducting with her psychiatrist (Law). Things begin to spiral even further out of control when Emily begins taking a new drug to deal with all the stress – and eventually finds herself on trial for murder, having unknowingly (supposedly?) killed her newly-freed husband.
In someone else’s hands, those plot elements could lend themselves to a pretty low-grade and soapy thriller. However, with Soderbergh sitting at the helm and Burns handling screenwriting duties, expect Side Effects to be more of a thematically-rich and dark character study that avoids its B-movie trappings – and boasts the director’s trademark visual flair, to boot.
Similarly, don’t be surprised if Mara delivers yet another dedicated and disturbing performance in Side Effects, following her great work in Dragon Tattoo – along with her standout part in The Social Network and solid turn in the otherwise lackluster Nightmare on Elm Street remake. The rest of the cast should turn in top-notch work as well – heck, even Tatum might be okay, in this one (hard as it may be to believe).
Soderbergh is known for working fast and efficiently, so Side Effects shouldn’t take too long to make its way into theaters. In fact, the film could possibly even be finished in time for an Oscar-qualifying run in late 2012 – but don’t count on that being a certainty just yet.
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Sasha, love you — dearly — but another Rooney Mara item? Waiting so (im)patiently for your SAG analysis… You’re getting about 20 hits per hour from me today hoping you put something up.
Also saw that she is supposed to be a part of Terrance Malick’s next film. How exciting is that?
She reminds me of a young Vivien Leigh
Film Fatale, love you — dearly — but when did Sasha’s editorial decisions become your business? Waiting so (im)patiently for your own blog.
I’m firmly in Rooney Mara’s camp. Even though she has only been in a couple films, her choices have been stellar. I’m glad Sasha draws attention to her. I get this feeling that many don’t like her personality (see Letterman interview and Seacrest red carpet). She seems to not buy into the sycophantic nature of the entertainment press. And anyone with that attitude is good in my book.
Her performance in The Girl with the Dragon tattoo was eye opening. On acting merit alone, she should be taking the Oscar home next month. I’ve seen all the nominated BEST ACTRESS performances, and it is disappointing that the award is going to go to a decent performance (Viola Davis) or hamming it up one (Meryl Streep).
I don’t enjoy how many within the Academy feel that one has to “earn” their award. The older I get the Oscars tend to go to individuals for career achievements and not for the performance. This year is no exception, and actually is an obscene one. Other than Octavia Spencer (who was really good, but Carey Mulligan should be running away with this award for Shame), the acting categories are boring.
I wonder how Mara could have been nominated for such a mediocre performance – and Rapace who was ten thousand times better wasn’t. :/ Mara stole the nomination from Swinton! And that’s a travesty.
Sasha, love you — dearly — but another Rooney Mara item? Waiting so (im)patiently for your SAG analysis… You’re getting about 20 hits per hour from me today hoping you put something up.
Come on, a awards blogger’s descent into stalking and madness is a hell of a lot more interesting than the Oscars themselves are this year.
It’s not that Rooney Mara was bad. It was that Noomi Rapace was a little bit better in a less interesting version of the same story.
I wish she still looked like that. David Fincher turned her into Wednesday Adams
(
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i have to admit she was good in TGWTDT BUT noomi rapace was way better, okim not going to live about the pas, but in what world noomi rapace was better than tilda swinton in WNTTAK?
second, why they dont give the chance to my beautiful serena van der goodsen? because she is too pretty? because gossip girl??? DO I HAVE TO REMIND U PEOPLE THAT MICHELLE WILLIAMS WAS IN DAWSONS CREEK? and look at her now, she is 3 times oscar nominee, who gives a shit about michelle before brockeback mountain? NO ONE
besides blake received good reviews about her turns in the private lives of pipa lee and the town SO im pissed she has been kicked out of the film
I am definitely a Rooney Mara fan, so I appreciate the news on here.
I saw Dragon Tattoo again this weekend, and I am so thrilled that she is nominated. I’ve been rooting for her since I saw the film the first time. One particular moment really stuck with me upon my second viewing. In the last scene, when she sees Blomkvist walking with Erika, Mara’s face is devastating. The last moment her face is frozen in this heartbreak that I can’t shake.
Just thought I’d share LOL
*sorry again ” in what world rooney mara was better then tilda swinton”
“Similarly, don’t be surprised if Mara delivers yet another dedicated and disturbing performance in Side Effects, following her great work in Dragon Tattoo – along with her standout part in The Social Network and solid turn in the otherwise lackluster Nightmare on Elm Street remake.”
Oh boy
If I were Channing Tatum, I’d be freaking out. Roooneeey’s gonna make him look even more wooden than usual. Great to see her hooking up with Soderbergh, though. He gets a lifetime pass for The Informant alone, one of the most awesomely bizarre mainstream films I’ve ever seen.
@Jorge: In MY world, Mara gave the best performance of the year. Tilda was great, too.
In order to comment something intellectual: Rooney Mara is damn cute, what a lovely pic!
Excuse me Pierre, but you, frankly, are an unimaginative jerk, parroting my post for Sasha, who doesn’t need your lame defending of her “editorial decisions” for a very gentle post such as mine.
Very bizarre reaction from a nobody like yourself — but I will Google you right now to see if I can find YOUR blog — it’ll be the one with no traffic. And frankly, I’d ban you from my blog.
I got to agree with Filmfatale, enough with the Rooney Mara coverage, its been 6 months straight. I know it’s Sasha’s blog but we can make constructive criticisms no? If we get new movie announcements about Mara then why not discauss all the other Oscar nominated actresses’ new or potential projects as well?:)
I got to agree with Filmfatale, enough with the Rooney Mara coverage
counterproductive suggestion
it just makes me want to go find more articles about Rooney Mara.
we post what interests us.
You don’t have to read it.
That isn’t a constructive criticism. Please don’t tell me what to post and what not to post.
Some of you must be messing with us. How is Rapace ten thousand times better than Mara? Rapace totally cheapened Lisbeth with a one-note performance with no layers whatsoever. Mara did Lisbeth justice and made a larger than life character seem real and convincing.
^
+1
Like
What an astonishing actress, my favorite performance in 2011.
She looks a lot like Natalie Portman, but has more charisma and presence.
Great news Sasha, thanks.
Goodness, how many people are going to bring up a comparison between Mara and Rapace? Let alone a comparison between the old and the new. I’m gonna put my foot down and say that this talk is ridiculous.
People have seen Mara’s performance and Fincher’s movie. It has gained critical acclaim and has received award worthy prestige. Mara has been nominated for an Oscar and it is a worthy nomination; and did I mention that people actually saw the movie?
The Swedish version only gained momentum after it came out on DVD, it received some acclaim in Foreign Film categories, but it is at best a decent adaptation of the book. By the way, no one saw it.
Let it die, hipsters
It’s not like this piece is about a film that’s unlikely to garner acclaim: Soderbergh & Burns’ next film will have an Oscar nominee in its challenging lead role. Ryan’s point about this site being an extension of Sasha’s house stands, and this work fits the rest of the site/house in terms of content/context.
Maybe the Mara coverage just hasn’t irked me like it has others, but I can’t believe that Oscar season coverage of Oscar nominees’ next big projects is irrelevant to an Awards blog..
And now for some other things!
@CarsonT
“did I mention that people actually saw the movie?”
Wrap it up, Rapace-likers. Nobody has even SEEN Rapace’s performance. How can you hipster wannabes claim to prefer it if it hasn’t been seen?
“Let it die, hipsters”
You tell ‘em!!!! Those fre*king hipsters.
Maybe it wasn’t seen in the USA (and that’s the reason why Mara is nominated – I don’t know) but in my country Swedish version was in the cinemas, everybody who’ve read Larsson books (which are very popular here) saw it (if not in the cinemas then on DVDs) and – OK, I might agree that Swedish version is just a decent adaptation – surely better than Fincher’s but it still has its flaws BUT Rapace was far more convincing, created far more nuanced character and surely deserved more recognition for her work than Mara who has one face expression for the entire movie.
And really – to say that she deserved the nomination instead of Swinton or Dunst – is simply ridiculous. 
At least we all know that she won’t win (thank God!).
totally agreeing with SOMEONE…
as for @ sasha, please rooney having STANDOUT PART IN SOCIAL NETWORK, you’ve got to be kidding me… she was barely there in the movie for two and a half scenes, if she was a standout then BILL GATES should’ve won oscar for leading role for social network.
That’s too bad because I was actually looking forward to Lively starring in this one.
Murtaza-while I’m not a fan of Mara in Dragon Tattoo, I do have to agree on her being a standout in The Social Network. It’s not easy to anchor yourself in moviegoers memories as effectively as Mara did, particularly when 99% of filmgoers weren’t familiar with her at the time. Her role was key-she had to have made such an indent in Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg that he would still pine for her after going through the hell of losing himself for the sake of his tunnel vision. She’s like the living embodiment of his Rosebud, and the fact that she doesn’t fall under the pressure of that responsibility, and is able to complete the narrative so thoroughly with just two scenes, speaks volumes about what is clearly a strong film presence (and, to be fair, Fincher and Eisenberg also deserve some credit there). While, as I’ve said before that I’m not a Dragon Tattoo cheerleader, it is foolish to consider her work in The Social Network anything but “standout.”
I think Rooney Mara managed to capture something in Lisbeth that Noomi Rapace didn’t. In the book she’s described how she looks in the film(s), but she has this quality about her that makes all of these guys fall for her. Whether they want to nuture her or fuck her or simply be partners with her. Rapace’s performance played it totally one note. She butched it up way too much. That little girl beneath the facade element that Larsson talked about in the books was not there. On the contrary, Mara’s performance made me fall in love with her instantly. Beneath all the make-up and piercings was this freightened young woman who has been abused and swept under the rug for most of her life. One needs only to look at the scene when Lisbeth comes home after she’s been raped, and cries in the shower. There’s vulnerability there. There is pain that is visible to the audience. In the Swedish version, Lisbeth simply comes hom and makes a sandwich.
The argument that “subtle facial expression=worse acting” is ridiculous.
Mara is wonderful, and I’m happy for her. Can’t wait to see her in Malick’s 2013 film/
Oh Rooney, I keep forgetting just how frigging pretty you are.
I had stars in my eyes during The Social Network for her brief few scenes.
She really is just lovely, and I hope her gravitating towards darker fare doesn’t mean that her natural beauty need be obfuscated.
What a lovely picture. It will be interesting to have her team up with another prominent director. Smart move to get to work early on distancing (not the word I mean, or not the way it sounds) herself from such an iconic role. Show what else she can do.
@jorge
this world is so cruel.Tilda gave great performance in WNTAK.
and congrats to Rooney.Steven Soderberg and fantastic cast.
ALPER??? MY FRIEND??? WHATS WRONG WITH U? WHY U ARE ROOTING FOR VIOLA? WHEN MICHELLE GAVE A BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN VIOLAA???
lol
my friend i’m rooting for Viola then Michelle. but poor Tilda is my one and only(still)
More than one comment about her looks, this old ass picture and hoping she starts to look like that again…..well, they slay me. *sigh*
I am really looking forward to this. I read it this morning (p.s. for everyone bitching about this being posted, this was new news this morning) and became pretty excited. I can’t wait to see her again. She (along with Jennifer Lawrence) is the brightest new talent out there. She is the one who stands out in this year’s race for having a truly memorable performance that just kind of imprints into your brain and leaves you thinking about it for some time to come.
I’m tired of everyone comparing her to Noomi. Noomi gave the most dumbed down and obvious portrayal of Lisbeth one could give. She just stomped around angry everywhere….and that’s NOT Lisbeth. She hid all her emotions, anger included, unless she was pushed far enough. Mara took this character so far beyond what Noomi did. Did anyone else notice the two times she “smiles” in the movie? They are so subtle and slight. The moment she feels the smile coming on she looks away to “reboot” her face. It is barely detectable unless you are paying attention. Nothing Mara did was cheap or obvious. Just so brilliant.
she was barely there in the movie for two and a half scenes, if she was a standout then BILL GATES should’ve won oscar for leading role for social network.
I’m starting to think that you readers only protest people that we praise. Since when did screen time equal brilliance of performance? No, Rooney Mara was a major standout in the Social Network – only an idiot would not see why.
She’s like the living embodiment of his Rosebud
Being a protagonist’s major character McGuffin doesn’t require anything. The sled in Citizen Kane gave the most wooden performance of the entire movie and yet no one’s doubting its importance to the Charles Foster Kane character. So claiming that solely good acting made the Erica relevant to the movie when a wooden sled would have sufficed as well… yeah. Nah.
Erica stuck because the movie kept going back to her and with that reminded the audience that this scene was the movie (and Zuckerberg’s non-existent character development) in a nutshell. In it Zuckerberg goes from disinterested and arrogant to unintentionally offensive, to briefly reconciliatory to outright mean and then is left to ponder his losses.
The scene is also the very best of Sorkinese, it’s overedited, and it’s a job a large variety of actresses could have done with 99 takes to do it with. But Mara did it and that’s that.
But it also means that I am not buying the hype until Mara proves that she can be awards-worthy outside Fincher movies and his 99 takes style. Which even made Justin Timberlake look a talented actor. Let’s ponder that for a second.
Wow a third Soderbergh film for Tatum?