Reply to Topic
All right, this is my first official review here, and so I hope it goes well.
Extraordinary Measures is based upon the true story of a father who turns to one research scientist at the hope of saving the lives of his young children. This medical drama isn't exactly out of the ordinary. The film naturally starts out on a sentimental note that helps you get to know the characters and feel some compassion for their difficult situation. A close call for one of the children draws you in quickly. This is when Joe Crowley (Brendan Fraser) realizes that if he wants his children to live, he has find a solution soon. Then, the plot really gets put into action when Joe recruits Doctor Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) to help him find a cure.
Because it's based upon a true story, I have difficulty evalutating the storyline. It makes for great entertainment, but it's rather predictable. The classic problem of big business and money-making verses what's right comes in here as they try to keep the funds coming in. Of course when there are sick children involved, we have to watch them get worse before they can get better.
The script is rather bland. There weren't any particularly memorable lines or dialouge other than a few promising bits of humor. Although it was well-written enough to be enjoyable, I don't think It will be winning any awards for a great screenplay. The direction went back and forth with me, and I think that it could've been much better. The director would choose a shot that I found rather poor, but then some techniques were used that I thought were rather promising. These were the lowpoints of the film.
However, the characters and performances are what drive this story. Brendan Fraser was the weak point in the cast in my opinion, and even he didn't give a poor performance. He seemed to get a little over dramatic, and I didn't find him entirely convincing at points. But he managed to capture the heart and drive of Joe Crowley. Harrison Ford gave extra personality to the character of Dr. Stonehill. Stonehill's a fiery, stubborn, and outspoken scientist. I loved it when he got to get really worked up in his heated debates with Fraser. The two did have excellent chemistry. Keri Russell's portrayal of Joe's wife was particularly strong.
What was equally, if not more, impressive than the stars' performances was the supporting cast. Every character was played beautifully. For example, the poignant performance of a fellow parent of a victim by Courtney Vance even struck me. The young actress who played Megan Crowley (Joe's sick daughter), Meredith Droeger, was in depth and sweet. My compliments to the casting director on this one.
Overall, Extraordinary Measures is a somewhat ordinary movie. I wouldn't say that it will go down in cinema history, but it is a touching story filled with terrific performances. Certainly worth the price of a ticket.
__________________
Faith doesn't make things easy, just possible.
Classicqueen13
