Desperate Measures Review
by Jamie Peck (jpeck1 AT gl DOT umbc DOT edu)February 11th, 1998
DESPERATE MEASURES
RATING: *1/2 (out of ****)
TriStar / 1:40 / 1998 / R (language, violence, wasted talent) Cast: Michael Keaton; Andy Garcia; Brian Cox; Marcia Gay Harden; Joseph Cross; Erik King; Efrain Figueroa
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Screenplay: David Klass
"Desperate Measures" is a generic title for a film that's beyond generic. It's also a depressing waste of talent, with the solid team of Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia unthankfully thrown thankless lead roles, not to mention once-cool director Barbet Schroeder sadly continuing his string of not-cool flicks -- this thriller is more "Before and After" than "Reversal of Fortune." The movie is a big disappointment, and yet it's somewhat easy to see what motivated such big names to attach themselves to it -- the premise is both promising and intriguing. Too bad the execution's all wrong, though, because the set-up of "Desperate Measures" boasts some rather enticing elements that deserve to be put to far better use.
San Francisco cop Frank Connor (Garcia) is a single parent with a troubling dilemma -- his son Matt (Joseph Cross) is stricken with cancer which only a bone marrow transplant can push into remission. Even worse, the only compatible donor is violent sociopath Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton), currently serving a life sentence for multiple murders and other various crimes against society. Connor tries his best to convince McCabe to go along with the surgery; he's at first reluctant, but reconsiders after he realizes he can plan his escape at the hospital. When he does make a run for it, Connor offers close pursuit, but for different reasons than his superiors (including the crusty Brian Cox) -- they want to take McCabe down, while Connor needs to keep him alive, or all hope is lost for his little boy.
One misstep "Desperate Measures" makes is in its underdevelopment of Matt's illness. What's needed are more details as to exactly why McCabe is the only bone marrow match that works; there would seem to be other possible contenders somewhere in the country, and thus many of the ways that Connor endangers the lives of himself and those around him by attempting to keep McCabe alive are just a little too hard to swallow. Take, for example, a scene where McCabe is trying to make a getaway by climbing over an elevated passage tunnel connecting two sections of the hospital. The police have their spotlight and guns aimed right on him, and what does Connor do? He shoots the spotlight out so that McCabe can continue his flight. Connor knows very well what dangerous deeds this guy is capable of, and yet never seems to think that McCabe will eventually get to and try to harm his son. Whatever.
To be fair, though, the lack of story background is the least of the movie's problems. First and foremost is how cheaply "Desperate Measures" trades the potential of it's opening scenes for the routine action ballistics of its final hour. Once McCabe escapes, the film becomes The Fugitive in reverse and with no thrills. There are countless scenes where the good guys catch up to Keaton only to have him grab a hostage and get away. Also, the movie is so intent on giving you a hoot-inducing, lip-smacking villain (the ads have compared Peter McCabe to Hannibal Lechter, natch) that it completely casts Garcia's Frank Connor by the Dullsville wayside; "Desperate Measures" appears to like its antagonist so much more than its protagonist, and the movie's head-scratcher of a send-off confirms this.
There is some good to be found amongst this mess, particularly in the acting department. Cast against type, Michael Keaton's understated menace is highly effective. Although he's not given much believable to work with, Andy Garcia plays off a taut emotional chord. Joseph Cross, as Garicia's ailing son, is surprisingly unsentimental, and Marcia Gay Harden lends solid support as a doctor who becomes a major player in the unfolding chaos. This cast does its best to camouflage the sorry plot as it chugs towards an inevitably happy ending, but most is lost. It goes without saying that "Desperate Measures" needs an operation of its very own.
© 1998 Jamie Peck
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/
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