When a homeless man dies in the trauma rooms of one of New York's busiest hospitals, no one gives it a second thought. Except for Dr. Guy Luthan who finds the symptoms which caused the death, very strange along with the fact the man was already wearing a strange hospital wrist band. As he investigates the death further, he uncovers an underground medical research program, which is headed by Dr. Lawrence Myrick, one of the countries most respected medical figures. He discovers that Myrick has been illegally researching a cure for paralysis by testing medicines on homeless people. What will Luthan do about this disregard for medical and moral ethics? What will Myrick do as his secret may be revealed at the cost of his career?
This is an interesting and entertaining thriller which poses a very real question of how far should medical research go. It also allows us to see Hugh Grant step out of his comedy roles and take on the role of the inquisitive, emergency room surgeon. I feel that this film is often over looked, because it is hard to think of Hugh Grant being able to take on a serious character in a modern setting. This is a shame, as not only he is he very good, the whole film is one of the better thrillers from the 90's.
The main character of the film is Dr. Guy Luthan, played by Hugh Grant. As I said before, Grant puts in an excellent performance as the doctor even though it is not his usual sort of character. You also get the exceptionally talented Gene Hackman as Dr. Lawrence Myrick, although he hardly appears in the first half of the film. Hackman brings years of acting experience to the role and this helps to make the film as good as it is. There are some big stars in this film that play supporting roles, names such as Sarah Jessica Parker, David Morse, Bill Nunn all add to keeping the film moving and interesting.
The film is directed by Michael Apted who in my eyes is a master of thrillers, having directed the excellent Gory Park and Blink. Through his expert directional skills he keeps this film moving along at a perfect pace which leaves you just enough time to take in what is happening in each scene and allows your imagination to try and work out what will happen next. The score to the film is created by Danny Elfman (Desperate Housewives, Spiderman), he has used a lot of percussion and piano to create a very haunting soundtrack which helps to create the mood of the film very well.
The Cast -----------
Hugh Grant .... Dr. Guy Luthan Gene Hackman .... Dr. Lawrence Myrick Sarah Jessica Parker .... Jodie Trammel David Morse .... FBI Agent Frank Hare Bill Nunn .... Det. Bob Burke Debra Monk .... Dr. Judith Gruszynski J.K. Simmons .... Dr. Mingus
Technical Details ---------------------
Certificate: 15 Length: 114 mins
Bonus Material ------------------
Sadly the only bonus material on the disc is the trailer; this is somewhat of a disappointment as I would love to have seen a feature dealing with the ethical questions posed in the film.
The Message & Christian View Point --------------------------------------------
The message of this film is that life is a gift and so should be respected. Just because someone may not live the most affluent of lifestyles they still should be respected as we would hope to be respected. It also poses the ethical question of how far medical research should go in the search for cures to some of the horrible diseases that plague are world. Should we allow testing to be carried out on humans, should we allow testing to be carried out on animals? It's a hard question as without the research we may never be able to find cures, but in doing so should people and animals suffer at the hands of scientists.
Conclusion & Rating -------------------------
This is a film which seems to have been over looked as a successful thriller, which is a shame as it throws some very good ethical questions into the ring. It also shows Hugh Grant in a new light as an actor who can play gritty modern characters. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller which will keep you hooked.
The DVD is currently £15.99 on Amazon which is extortionate for a DVD with no bonus features but if you look at dotcomdvd you can pick it up at the much more reasonable price of £4.25.
More details
Soundtrack
Good
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Satisfactory
Value for Money
Good
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
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Extreme Measures [1997]
Extreme Measuresloses credibility near the climax when it sacrifices its hold on reality,
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but this entertaining, intelligent thriller effectively applies a formulaic plot to the complicated ethics of medical research. It also gives Hugh Grant an opport...
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