Desperate Measures (1998) October 12, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Barbet Schroeder
This movie has been kind of a guilty pleasure of mine for some time, and while I can admit that it isn’t the most technically accomplished, realistic, or thought-provoking flick, it always manages to entertain me. Maybe I’m just a crazy person though.
The plot revolves around Frank Connor (Andy Garcia), a cop who is desperately searching for a bone-marrow transplant for his critically ill son. The only genetic match they can find comes in the form of homicidal criminal Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton). After persuading McCabe to do the transplant (he is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison), they transport him to the secure wing of a local hospital. Of course, McCabe breaks free and begins to run riot in the complex. With the police out to shoot him on sight, it’s up to Conner to make sure McCabe is brought in alive – or the transplant his son needs will become impossible.
So why all the fuss? What makes someone admit to liking a mid-budget action/thriller with a standard plotline? Being a Michael Keaton fan helps, and his turn as the evil serial killer with smarts is surprisingly effective. His slow story arc towards being not so ruthless is slightly less convincing, although this is rectified by time the credits roll. Andy Garcia is also good as the father who cares only for his sons life.
Although the plot may not be especially original, the story has an interesting element that is played to good effect. In fact, I think the best scenes are those that put Andy Garcia right in the centre of his moral dilemma – to do his job and bring down McCabe, or to work against his colleagues, and protect a criminal from the cops so that his son might live. It’s used really well at times, it’s just a shame there aren’t more moments like those.
Part way through the movie, the police captain says to Frank Conner, “How many people are going to have to die today, so that your son can live”. It’s nice that although this is a major flaw with a lot of action movies (multiple people often die in order to save just one who’s of no special importance), the filmmakers haven’t shied away from it. And if there’s one thing they’ve done right, it’s not trying to make this movie into something that it isn’t. Instead of adding big action set pieces that the budget clearly couldn’t handle and doing them badly, they’ve chosen to keep things simple and concentrate on the situation and the predicament of both main characters. It’s this self-awareness that turns what could’ve been a horrible mess, into an enjoyable 100 minutes.
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