Desperate Measures

Starring: Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Brian Cox, Marcia Gay Harden, Erik King
Directed by: Barbet Schroeder
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A cop (Andy Garcia) desperate to find a bone marrow donor for his cancer-stricken son is dismayed to find the only compatible donor is a convicted murderer (Michael Keaton) on death row. As he trie to convince him to donate, he soon discovers that the killer harbors plans of his own.

Review:

Tim: The first thing to state about this movie is that it is a pretty absurd thriller. If you are looking for an intelligent, believable story, this movie is not for you. However, if you are willing to look past the sheer ridiculousness of this film's flimsy plot, you'll still be disappointed, but you may find a few moments of entertainment, too. Sadly, this movie just never elevates itself beyond the realm of mediocrity.

I like the very basic premise of this movie. Trying to get a crazy, convicted murderer to do what you want despite the fact that he is smarter than everyone else- that is an interesting idea. This does create a few tense moments, although the movie itself is still disappointing.

The best part of this movie is probably the performance of Michael Keaton. Keaton has some serious acting chops, and I love when he is able to showcase that talent. Here, he is an intelligent, scary, chillingly lethal murderer who will stop at almost nothing to get free. Besides the many times when his performance strayed into the absurd, he was mostly enjoyable. Andy Garcia, however, was a bit bland as the heroic father willing to go to any length to save his son. I never really bought his bond with his son, and his performance was a bit bland. He was a decent protagonist, but left a lot to be desired. The supporting cast was decent, with the usually reliable Brian Cox and Marcia Gay Harden adding in effective supporting performances.

I didn't hate this movie because it never really took itself too seriously. The whole movie progressingly gets more and more outlandish, and there is something entertaining about just going along for the ride, even though you know the story is crumbling to pieces all around you. Desperate Measures is a major disappointment because it throws away logic and reason for entertainment purposes, and it doesn't even do that all that well. That being said, if you can get yourself into the plot, there are some tense moments. I really wish this movie was more effective, but it does just enough right so that I was left with a few positive feelings.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: White Noise, Jackie Brown, Twisted, Confidence, Extreme Measures