Desperate Measures Review
by "Nathaniel R. Atcheson" (nate AT pyramid DOT net)January 31st, 1998
Desperate Measures (1998)
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Cast: Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Brian Cox, Marcia Gay Harden, Joseph Cross
Rated R: Language, violence
by Nathaniel R. Atcheson ([email protected])
Desperate Measures is a film that takes an interesting idea, adds two great actors (Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton), a director who knows what he's doing, and ends up giving the audience a lot of action film cliches. There is so much potential here that it is a little upsetting to see that the script misleads the film into a by-the-numbers formula. As standard as it is, the execution is professional, and the acting superb. I recommend it based specifically on these merits.
Garcia stars as Frank Connor, a San Francisco cop whose son, Matt (Joseph Cross), has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Through a few illegal maneuvers, Connor learns that the only available donor that matches his son is Peter McCabe (Keaton), a brutal mass-murderer with an IQ of 150. McCabe agrees to the transplant, but only to be given the chance to escape. Naturally, he does escape, and then Connor is forced to fight against the local police (they are trying to kill McCabe) in order to save the criminal and ultimately save his son.
I've read that the story for this film is silly, but I disagree--during a time of the year in which films bankrupt on new and clever ideas are dominant, it's kind of nice to see something that is high-concept. The problem here lies in the regression from good ideas to overused action cliches. What begins with enticing dialogue between the hero and the villain ends in car chases and roof-leaping mayhem. It's not that these elements are purely bad, it's just that we've seen it all before. There isn't anything new about these particular chase sequences or roof-jumping stunts.
I observed another large problem in character motivation. Most of the film takes place in the hospital, after McCabe escapes. However, instead of getting out of the building (which doesn't seem like it would be as hard as getting away in the first place), McCabe sticks around and takes hostages, almost as if he's trying to give Connor a chance to catch him. Later, despite his high intelligence, McCabe does some things that don't quite add up. Nonetheless, Keaton does a good job with the character (he can say lines like, "I am immortal!" without sounding dumb).
Garcia is also good here, but he's given very little to do. Frank is not an interesting character. The interactions between this man and his son (Cross does an excellent job as the child) are moving, but Frank as a character is little more than something to drive the plot. In the end, we're rooting just for Matt. Marcia Gay Harden, who plays Matt's doctor, has some good scenes but is ultimately not very interesting because of the script. Near the start there's also a moment that bothered me--McCabe warns Connor not to try and get inside his head. This scene reminded me of The Silence of the Lambs, but neither the dialogue nor Keaton can recreate the magic of Anthony Hopkins in the role of Hannibal Lecter.
There is, however, a lot to like about Desperate Measures; what I liked most is the cinematography. Barbet Schroeder (Single White Female) does some interesting things with camera angles and lighting, and the set production is sharp and ominous. The film feels tight and organized, but almost too organized, and often predicable. Because of the nature of the film, it's possible to predict the outcome of the story after just seeing the preview, although getting there is still entertaining.
So, Desperate Measures becomes another entry in the long line of thrillers. And, like most of them, it doesn't have a lot to set it apart from the crowd. The execution is good, and the magnetic performers do a lot to help it out, but these elements end up just keeping the film from being unwatchable. Someone out there needs to make a shocking, unpredictable film like this. With a sharper script, Desperate Measures could have easily blown away the competition.
>From 0-10: 6
Grade: C+
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