Actors Jude Law and Rooney Mara pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Side Effects at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. — AP Photo

BERLIN: Jude Law says his biggest challenge in preparing for Steven Soderbergh's new thriller "Side Effects" was psychological: convincing himself that he could play a psychiatrist properly.

The movie has its international premiere Tuesday at theBerlin film festival, where it's one of 19 contenders for the top Golden Bear award. British actor Law plays a psychiatrist who prescribes a new drug he's testing out as part of a lucrative deal with a pharmaceutical giant.

Law told reporters he was faced with "overcoming the reality that I wasn't going to be able to go to medical school in the time it took to prepare for the part."

He added: "I didn't have a huge relationship with pharmaceuticals or an understanding of them."

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