"Side Effects," now in theaters, is a clever neurobiochemical (is that a word?) thriller starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is supposedly director Steven Soderbergh's swan song, although when we talked to him during a 45-minute long phone interview he sounded more like he was pushing "pause" than "stop."

"I don’t know how long this break will last. If it were to last I’m pretty happy with this last group of movies," said Soderbergh, whose recent works include "Magic Mike," also starring Tatum, and  "Contagion," which was filmed partly in Atlanta and also starred Law.

"Side Effects" involves a horrible crime committed while a patient is taking experimental new drugs. Is she to blame? Is the doctor? Is big pharma? Are we all in a way?

"Especially in the U.S. there is this real desire to have a work around," Soderbergh said. "Can I get from here to there? It can be anything: weight loss, making money. We have this real desire to have it all downloaded to us as quickly as possible."

The movie feels like it's in the same church, different pew as "Contagion," about the panic and search for a cure following the outbreak of a deadly bug. Both movies combine elements of medical mystery but rely heavily on strong characters rather than shock value. "Contagion," for example, could have been far grosser but its victims die without a lot of spewing or carrying on. No spoilers, but there are scenes in "Side Effects" that reveal obvious restraint, which Soderbergh says reflects his esteem for his viewers.

"I’ve been accused of being anti-audience. I have so much respect for them. I expect and assume they can handle a lot," he said. I’m a high school graduate. It’s not like I’m some egghead. The movies I grew up on were demanding. I expect (viewers) to bring something to the table and not just sit there like a log. This is a movie where I’m hoping people will say, okay now I’ve got to watch that again."

It's also an ensemble piece where no one steals the show.

"You have to have people who are understanding of the fact that they are not the story. The story is the story," Soderbergh said. "Everybody has to understand that they’re there to serve something larger than just their particular role or function.I take a very egalitarian approach – everyone gets treated equally. No one gets bigger shots than everyone else."

To be sure Law is a compelling character as the doctor tending to a woman who acts out while in his care (Mara).

"What I love about the piece is each one slowly reveals more about themselves," Law told us during a separate (and much shorter) phone interview. "I’m a great believer in playing the truth. What’s interesting about the doctor I play is he is a problem solver. In this particular instance he can’t get to the bottom of this riddle. He reveals a much more ruthless side to himself. Who is mad? What is madness?"

Unlike the calm, caring and cerebral doctor he plays in "Side Effects," Law played a kooky blogger in "Contagion," during which he was fitted with a ridiculous dental prosthesis that deserves its own IMDB page. Regardless of role, Law delights in working with Soderbergh.

"I’m a very big admirer of how he works," Law said. "When you know he is going to direct a film you know it is going to be stylish, tasteful and intelligent."

We asked both when they're coming to Georgia to work on a film project. Law hasn't worked here since portraying Billy Hanson in the 1997 movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

"I had a very good time there," he said of Savannah,where the movie based on John Berendt's book is set. "I liked it enormously." 

Soderbergh was born here but his family moved before his first birthday.

 "I haven’t checked to see if they’ve put the plaque up yet," he quipped.

He was last here for "Contagion," which included scenes set at the Centers for Disease Control and one scene with CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta playing himself. Soderbergh has family here but hasn't been back since "Contagion." Might a film or television project lure him back at some point? We'll see.

"New horizons," he said, discussing possibilities for his future. "New challenges. New problems. I’ve had so much good fortune and serendipity. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to control the process.I’m a big believer in keeping your head down and feet moving."