Flatliners

Rating:
Summary: Joel Shumacher's better work
Review: Joel Shumacher royally screwed up the entire 'Batman' franchise, whereas his earlier works, such as the Grisham adaptions and this frightening flick 'Flatliners,' remain some of my favorites. He works well here with the awesome plot and the great actors, and has a hell of a time as any viewer can easily see in creating an eerie depth to his film, but where 'Flatliners' tends to fall short after every viewing is the ending, which turns a nearly remarkable film into a satisfying emotional flick. However, the fault lies with the screenwriter, and not Shumacher, which makes 'Flatliners' one of his best films, next to the wonderful adaption of Grisham's 'A Time To Kill' with Sandra Bullock.

So what's wrong with the ending? Well, it takes a wonderfully inventive story and turns it around, much like 'The Sixth Sense' did, into an emotional drama. This type of 'horror-drama' thing worked for 'The Sixth Sense' with perfect clarity. However, this technique comes up empty-handed in 'Flatliners,' missing the perfect blend '6 Sense' had and creating an ending that just simply didn't seem to fit. However, this film succeeds in all other areas, especially that of acting.

Keifer Sutherland has rarely been better than he is here, with his witty evil look and the ominous way he portrays himself onscreen. Julia Roberts is stunning and very emotionally moving in her role, and tends to be one of the most memorable characters, next to Sutherland. Kevin Bacon does an average performance, and William Baldwin - well, although he simply can't act, he does his damndest here, which is good enough for me. Oliver Platt is humorous, as always, while adding depth to a co-starring character in some respects, although at times he seems out-of-place here.

Overall, I enjoyed this film. It scared the bejeepers out of me, and made me cry at the end, which in itself felt odd and out-of-place, but that's okay. It makes you think, and it's doubtful you'll forget the unforgettable story or the superb acting by the three title characters, Sutherland, Roberts, and Bacon. And it raises a very intersting question and, in my opinion, answers it quite well...

what happens in life after death?

and, more importantly, what happens after you've come back from the dead?

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Like all major disappointments,I had high expectations of this Joel Schumacher thriller.Unfortunately,about a quarter of the way in,I realised these were not going to be met.The key scene where the main characters kill Kiefer Sutherland's character before bringing him back to life again was soporifically done.In fact,the acting throughout the whole film was atrocious,full stop.And,for an apparently studio production,this is shot very much like a cheap straight-to-video/cable TV movie.The inticing premise of the supernatural events these people encounter after going through the experiment is nothing more imaginative or out of the ordinary than some childhood demons from their past coming back to haunt them,which bears no relation to what they did at all.This premise is stretched out beyond breaking point as the film nears its end.Flat indeed.

Rating:
Summary: VERY GOOD! Chilling!
Review: My Favorite Movie Quote is from this flick:
"It's like being paronoid without the fear"
This is how one of the charactors describes the after-life.
I LOVE THAT!!!!
This is Julia at her Best...she's a predictable actress now. In this flick she was still a little fresh.

Rating:
Summary: Not Right....
Review: Rather morbid film of five medical students to experiment with death and find that ghosts from the grave coming back to hauting them. The story is both morbid and lacks creditbility, which is not a surprise when you consider that it's made by the same film director who gave us Batman and Robin. Nuff Said.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting thought experiment.
Review: Summary:
Five medical students want to see what happens when you die: Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland), Rachel Mannus (Julia Roberts), David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon), Joseph 'Joe' Hurley (William Baldwin), and Randal Steckle (Oliver Platt). What they find is that there are things in their past of which they are not proud.

My Comments:
The premise is truly brilliant - it is a great question. But why do they have to deal with their 'sins'? It never really makes sense. However, the impression I get is that someone is trying to push a 'Christian' theme on the viewers of the movie - what people need is something to atone for their sins. However, even if this was the intent of the writers, I decided to take it a bit further and see the atonement taking place inside the people's minds - more of an atheistic approach.

Anyway, that is really just my interpretation of the movie and not really much of a critique of the production. I thought the acting was satisfactory, not Oscar worthy, but bearable. The setting was fun, an old-school type medical school - something of a gothic feel to it. I thought the movie was well done overall, though it was not always convincing. Some of the scenes with Billy Mahoney (Joshua Rudoy) chasing Nelson weren't very convincing, even with the leeway of a dreamworld. The movie tried too hard at times to be dark; sure, the experiment was dark, but it was also light in other ways, something they chose not to emphasize.

Overall, if you enjoy movies that offer a topic to think about and are a bit on the dark side, you would probably enjoy this. If death and dark movies are not your thing, this one isn't for you.

Rating:
Summary: Don't try this at home
Review: The premise of this horror lite venture in movie making is that if one is dead for only a few minutes and then brought back to life before the brain damage sets in, one might very well experience what it's like being dead, and that experience might be glorious and one might learn something nobody else knows, or at least something to tell them about on Sixty Minutes. Anyway, this is what med student Nelson Wright, played with energy and intensity by Kiefer Sutherland, thinks. Somehow he convinces four other med students, Joe Hurley (William Baldwin), David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon), Rachel Mannus (Julia Roberts), and Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) to help him out.

Problem number one is that I don't think director Joel Schumacher sold this shaky premise sufficiently. We really need to believe that this group of med students could be flaky enough to risk their careers and their lives for an iffy few minutes of a supposed after life experience. For me it just wasn't happening, and I think that is why this movie starts slow and remains relatively unfocused for the first twenty minutes or so.

Problem number two is the casting of Julia Roberts as Rachel Mannus. This was the same year she did Pretty Woman (1990) with Richard Gere and became a box office sensation. She looks gorgeous in the dark red and blue tinted lights, but it's not enough to put some specs on her and make us believe she's a daredevil pre med student. And let me ask you this, mightn't all that serious hair get in the way when she slices into those cadavers? She is one of my favorites with that face like no other, but her work here was limited, inconsistent and a bit preoccupied. Still Julia is always worth watching.

Problem number three is the lighting. All that dim lighting just doesn't mesh well with med school chic. Med students like to see what they're doing when they're digging into all that viscera. And if your job is to bring a friend back from the dead, you want a clean, well-lighted room, please.

Okay, putting all that aside, and accepting the premise, just how bad was this movie? Well, not all that bad really. The cast does a good job, particularly Sutherland who was apparently psyched for the part, and Bacon. The idea that we are responsible for our actions and must pay the consequences for evils done to others is a compelling notion well illustrated. I particularly liked the haunting of Joe Hurley by all the girls he hustled and told lies to and videotaped without their knowledge. Those babes are looking a little ugly now, dude. Call it karma. The little boy who stalks Nelson Wright is chilling and Rachel Mannus's depressing father is very sad. After a bit the movie even gets a little scary. But I had a thought en route: What if we substitute the post death experience of the participants in this little star chamber club with some bad acid trips? How much would their experience differ, really?

Bottom line: I don't think TV's "Fear Factor" is going to be featuring this one anytime soon. But wouldn't they love to do it? Think of the ratings. Anyway, this is a mild diversion for a rainy afternoon, thanks mainly to a fine cast.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Thrilling and Original
Review: This film by far is one of the best when it comes to originality. Five med students (Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt) want to know what really lies beyond death. One by one they each flatline for a short time to see if they can come back with the answers to life and death. What they get is far more than they would have ever expected. One by one their sins are brought back to haunt them until they make amends with their past. The dark lighting and music keep you entranced throughout the film. The only thing that I have to complain about on this Dvd is the lack of special features. It at least should of had the Trailer, however, other than that, this movie is a "should buy." Great acting by the five lead actors that have now made great names for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: A classic.
Review: This has to be my favorite Kiefer Sutherland movie. The basic idea is that five medical students "flatline" themselves to see what happens when you are technically dead. What they get is not what they expect. Consequently, their past comes back to haunt them until they can atone for their actions. A great Sci-fi thriller, but not for people who are into really scary movies. 'Flatliners' has a great cast and acting. This is a movie worth watching on a rainy day.

Rating:
Summary: A classic.
Review: This has to be my favorite Kiefer Sutherland movie. The basic idea is that five medical students "flatline" themselves to see what happens when you are technically dead. What they get is not what they expect. Consequently, their past comes back to haunt them until they can atone for their actions. A great Sci-fi thriller, but not for people who are into really scary movies. 'Flatliners' has a great cast and acting. This is a movie worth watching on a rainy day.

Rating:
Summary: suspenseful
Review: THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE I COLLECT ALL JULIA ROBERTS MOVIES AND THIS IS A MUST FOR ALL COLLECTORS