Geoffrey DeLeons
This is one of the better medical-oriented thrillers, or even medical-oriented movies in general, and I was prepared to issue it eight stars up until the final scene where Dr. Luthan is walking down the steps of N.S.U. with none other than the person who, very suspiciously, dogged and thwarted him through the movie, his supervisor, Dr. Manko. I was appalled when I saw that, and consider it a script error.Now they are buddies and all is forgiven? Manko was not a part of the conspiracy? Then why were we led to believe, repeatedly, that he was?If that is not enough, what happened next was enough to force me to detract one star and weep for what could have been movie that makes an important and powerful statement for human rights, and humanity in general: When Ruth Myrick offers Dr. Luthan Dr. Myrick's notes (sic), the movie sends a message and projects the erroneous, cynical assumption that in society today, there is widespread approval, by intelligent, cultured, principled people, of the savagery inflicted by her husband.When Dr. Luthan, after all of his diligence and vigilance, actually accepted the research material borne-of-murder-and-torture, it literally reversed and convoluted the established tenor and heart of the picture.It was abhorrent and inexcuseable.Dr. Luthan, when offered the media, had the opportunity to underline, summarize and emphasize his world-view and code-of-ethics, as a doctor of medicine, and as a human being. A great opportunity was missed.Other scriptual wrong-turns; 1.) Placing Jodie Trammel (and her brother) as part of the conspiracy. By-the-way, why wasn't she and he indicted? 2.) The vague notion of "the room". The definition seems to have morphed in the script, from a hospital room of torture to a homeless refuge far underground (with people who never come up to the surface)?Any other movie with these inconsistencies and horrible ending, I would have given 4 or 5 stars to. The promise of Extreme Measures was not fulfilled in the end, but the story is one of great social pertinence and one we should not forget nor dismiss. With "medicine's" singular focus on profit, it is highly likely that something like the scenario described in this movie could take place, performed by U.S. companies in either the U.S. or some other, more-receptive country. This could have been a great movie.
LeonLouisRicci
With an Above Average Script from Tony Gilroy and a Surprisingly Effective Against Type Performance from Hugh Grant, this is an Intense Thriller with Ethical Questions and Moral Dilemmas that have No Easy Answers. It's those Difficult Questions the Movie Asks that makes this the kind of Movie that isn't made often. The Thriller Format is much more Popular and Easily Digested when this Type of Thinking is Not Required. Taxing the Brain is Not Formulaic for the Popcorn Crowd and it doesn't Sell Tickets.This one is Noble in its Efforts and some Suspension of Disbelief is Required. There are a Few Scenes, most Notably when Grant's Doctor Submerges to the Bowels of the City, that Strain for Realism and one of the Few Times when the Film seems a bit too Hollywood.But Most of the Movie Plays out some Twists and Turns that are Surprising and the quick Pacing Helps the Film Deal with the Malpractice Elements and the "God Complex" more Easily. Overall, it is a Thinking Man's Thriller with Good Performances and Good Writing and is only Brought Down a Bit by the Contrived Situations Necessary to make it all Fit into a Two Hour Running Time.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I have hardly seen Hugh Grant is any serious roles, and without being a bumbling hopeless-romantic, and this is a good break away from that stereotyping. He plays Dr. Guy Luthan, the main man of a New York hospital, he may be a little fussy and make difficult decisions, but he is a good doctor. The film by the way starts with two victims of a mysterious experiment, Claude Minkins (Shaun Austin-Olsen) comes to Guy's hospital, and Teddy Dolson (André De Shields) goes missing. Guy is now investigating Claude's mysterious condition for reason of death, and for some reason, all evidence of him or Teddy are not found. The only person who may know something about it would be Dr. Lawrence Myrick (Gene Hackman), who runs a secret research building, where Claude and Teddy escaped. Eventually Guy uncovers that he is taking homeless people to try and find cures for serious conditions, e.g. broken backs. Guy knows that what he is doing is wrong, as he torturing and in some cases murdering these people. Also starring Sarah Jessica Parker as Jodie Trammel, The Green Mile's David Morse as FBI Agent Frank Hare, Sister Act's Bill Nunn as Det. Bob Burke, Shaun Austin-Olsen as Claude Minkins, André De Shields as Teddy Dolson and Spider-Man's J.K. Simmons as Dr. Mingus. The ending is a little hard to handle because when justice is done (accidently), you don't know if it was the right thing to do or not. Good directing from The World Is Not Enough director Michael Apted. Good!
