Name: Retro Film Review: Playing God (1997)
Item: Playing God
Rating: 15
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

Many years ago the author of this review used to read medicine textbooks. While reading them I noticed one interesting detail. Most of those books were old and written before the cultural and other social changes associated with 1960s. Because of that, chapters dealing with the subject of drug addiction completely ignored phenomenon of recreational drug use or organised crime that made those drugs available for general public. At least according to those books, typical drug addict was professional with easy access to drugs and whose drug use had begun for medical rather than recreational reasons. Protagonist of Playing Good, 1997 thriller directed by Andy Wilson, fits that description.

Not so long ago Eugene Sands (played by David Duchovny) had successful career of a surgeon. But his dedication to work, combined with long working hours and easy access to amphetamines, had lethal consequences for one of his patients. After losing job and license to practice medicine, Sands is reduced to frequenting Los Angeles night clubs in search of synthetic heroin. One night he witnesses a bloody gangland shoot out and, acting on instinct, performs impromptu surgery and saves one of victims' lives. Mobster Raymond Blossom (played by Timothy Hutton) is impressed with this performance and wants Sands to become his gang's surgeon and thus spare his wounded men from unpleasant questions in regular medical facilities. Sands reluctantly agrees and later meets Claire (played by Angelina Jolie), Blossom's sexy girlfriend. He begins regretting his decision when he is approached by Gadge (played by Michael Massee), FBI agent who wants to have an informer within Blossom's gang.

For David Duchovny Playing Good seemed like a good opportunity to broaden his acting scope and show that he can star in roles different from Fox Mulder of The X-Files. His valiant effort to convincingly portray morally ruined physician is thwarted by his colleagues not taking their roles that seriously. Timothy Hutton overacts in the role of mobster, while Angelina Jolie is reduced to looking pretty. On the other hand, Andy Wilson, British director known for Cracker television series, fails to deal with problems created by Mark Haskell Smith's script. In first forty-five minutes the film looks mildly intriguing with Duchovny playing flawed protagonist and delivering noir-like voice over. Unfortunately, in the second part Playing Good succumbs to the cliches, including the obligatory transformation of pathetic drug addict into unbeatable action superhero. With that the entire grittiness of the film is compromised and Playing Good becomes less of a film and more of someone's bad career choice.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on April 12th 2004)