Inhale

2010 "One man, one chance, no rules."
6.5| 1h40m| R| en| More Info
Released: 01 October 2010 Released
Producted By: 26 Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/inhale
Synopsis

A couple goes to dangerous lengths to find a lung donor for their daughter.

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CheshireCatsGrin I caught this on Netflix tonight and was extremely disappointed. I understand the choice of grainy footage. It worked as well as the experimental bleached film did in Three Kings, which considering is in my top ten movies, says a lot. The ethical dilemmas throughout this film, until the final one, are realistic. Some doctors will bend the rules and play *wink wink nod nod* if a person can have lifesaving treatment in another country with a different set, or unenforced, rules as the child's Doctor did in this film. The mother opening up Harrison's (played expertly by Sam Shepard) medicine cabinet and the father confronting him on the golf course by mentioning the medications found which were all for post-transplant patients. Suddenly the father starts on what appears to be a wild goose chase to find Harrison's surgeon went on far too long. Most of us know by now how dangerous that area of Mexico is. While the mother is driving down to Mexico with ailing daughter, with a week left to live, in tow we finally feel some urgency. The ending from there is a let down.*spoiler* Once the street urchin was run over by the transplant surgeon's ordered motorcycle arrives at the hospital and has his chest open, along with a leg needing amputating, his chances of survival are very low. Yet suddenly the dying girls father has an ethical moment and allows his daughter to die so this child may, although in reality unlikely, live a full life. At the end we see him with a very western prosthesis with the other children living on the street. We also see the American couple bury their daughter . The mother, not forgiving the father, walks away from the funeral with anger at her husband. The husband, having taken the high road, is more comfortable with her death as a natural progression of her terminal disease.I'm sorry. Although not a parent, if I had the chance to save my child's life by transplanting the organs of a murdered child who already lost a leg and chest pried open my child would have his organs in a heartbeat. Not for the reason I believe the attempted murder was wrong: that wouldn't be a factor. I would accept the donated organ for the simple reason both children likely will die. Why not save one life?
MBunge This movie has its problems but almost manages to overcome them with a compelling concept, quick pace and plenty of plot twists. Then a hugely unsatisfying conclusion, that gets dumber the more you think about it, short circuits all the dramatic and emotional tension of the story and reemphasizes all those problems you originally overlooked.Paul Stanton (Dermot Mulroney) is a New Mexico prosecutor whose daughter (Mia Stallard) is dying of a lung disease. Frustrated with America's transplant bureaucracy, Paul leaves his daughter and wife (Diane Kruger) behind and heads to Mexico, following a shadowy lead on a black market set of lungs. After being put through the wringer, Paul eventually unravels the mystery of "organ tourism" and is forced to confront the question he's been denying through the whole ordeal. Exactly how far is he willing to go to save his daughter's life?Now, Paul and his wife have essentially no personality other than their deep concern over their daughter and the first half of Inhale is littered with expository flashbacks that ultimately prove to be unnecessary. But the crisis facing the couple is so easy to identify with and Paul's pursuit of his daughter's salvation is so earnest and fraught with so many challenges that you don't really mind the characters being two dimensional. And the flashbacks end just as Paul's search for some lungs kicks into high gear, which allows the annoyance over their pointlessness to wash away.At this point, Dermot Mulroney's strong performance as a desperate father lost in the labyrinth of Juarez, Mexico has been enough to carry the film along as he races the clock to save his daughter. It's a simple, believable dilemma that holds your attention and the plot has been just unexpected enough to leave you anxious to see how it's all resolved. Inhale then races toward an ending which implodes in its stupidity. After hewing pretty close to realistic drama, the story dives deep into melodrama at the finish and then decides to skip over all the anguish and fallout the melodrama is meant to create. Paul Stanton is quite ludicrously put in the position of having to choose to save his daughter's life by killing another child but we don't get to see that decision made or any of the immediate consequences of it. The movie just cuts away to days or weeks later to let us know what Paul decided and then, like 30 seconds later, Inhale simply ends. The entire motion picture has been a boulder rolling downhill toward Paul's big decision but instead of giving the audience the crash its been waiting for and deserves, they're handed a wet noodle denouement and then kicked out of the story like it's an apartment and the viewer is 6 months behind on the rest.Oh, and at the end of this movie, Paul knows everything there is to know about this illegal organ-selling operation. He knows names, faces, locations, crimes and the way this thing ends, there's no reason in the world why Paul wouldn't or shouldn't go to the authorities and blow the whistle on the whole murderous scheme. Yet, the organ-sellers let Paul walk away, apparently trusting this now grief-stricken gringo to keep their secrets. And as Inhale ends, that's seems to be exactly what Paul did. These filmmakers clearly thought they were casting Paul as this tragic hero with their conclusion, but what they did was make him an accomplice to evil.A lot of good movies have flaws and what makes them good is that something about the story or its presentation transcends or overpowers those weaknesses. Inhale does the opposite, highlighting and exaggerating its problems until they can't be ignored. This film isn't a disaster but it is very disappointing.
reuben-3-977619 I'm not usually one to write a review for a film I have seen but then again there are very few films i have seen recently that have had much to shout about. Inhale however, needs to be seen! An absolute must for anyone looking to watch a film with depth. It provokes debate and raises ethical issues that any parent could be faced with.Certain films can be circumstantial with unrealistic story lines but i found myself watching this film thinking i would have done exactly what the lead character did. Furthermore, the subtle way in which the plot evolved and finally reached its climax kept me on the edge of my seat from the minute it started right through to the closing credits.I love to watch films but there are very few i can recollect without being prompted, Inhale however, has joined the ranks of some of my most memorable films of late.Its a such a shame it hasn't received the kudos it so deserves. A fantastic film that will be the topic of many water cooler moments for months to come!
erenkongu I had a chance to watch this film in my free time and in all fairness it was a chance.When i read the instruction of film before watch it , i supposed it would be a mundane and happy-ending film but i were surprised.I also want to thank to scenarist of the film due to mention about the illegal organ transplantation system all over the world and how people are worthless in Mexico.It is worth to watch this film.I think point of the film should be higher soon.Enjoy it !