Flatliners

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: Scientific search for God
Review: Everyone has moments in their life they wish they could re-invent. This movie is about what happens when you don't face your sins after they have come back to haunt you.
The five main characters have moments in their past brought to life by an unproved medical proceedure that forces them to face the things they have done or experienced. What it comes down to though, is that you have to face your sins eventually, or they will destroy you.
Amy Davies

Rating:
Summary: A remarkable work, in spite of itself
Review: This movie is not exactly high on people's lists of Great Horror, but as a scientific-religious allegory it's sheer brilliance. The themes first explored in the original Frankenstein come back to haunt: that being the idea that the seeker of knowledge who stops at nothing to gain that knowledge should beware as the object of his desire may turn and bite him in the end.

Keifer Sutherland is a young, arrogant medical student who cajoles his friends into playing what might be termed the Ultimate Game of Chicken: explore the afterlife through "flatlining" (i.e., artificially inducing a temporary state of medical death, followed by revival). It's sticking your nose in the Ultimate Don't Go Here Door, and he and his buddies--Oliver Platt, William Baldwin, the then-still-exquisite Julia Roberts (and her two friends, Port and Starboard), and of course Kevin Bacon, with whom they are all within One Degree of Separation From--discover that God Is Not Amused at trespassers.

As each of them flatline, they explore the other side, then discover that when they come back to this world they are facing a world unexpected and unknown: the Real World, where their sins (yes! Sin! A three letter word NEVER heard in the movies anymore) come back and literally haunt them. Bacon is plagued by a child he once tormented; Baldwin, by the women he secretly filmed during sex (a sort of Sex, Truth, and Videotape Kodak moment). Roberts is seared by the memory of her father's suicide, and as for Sutherland... well, I have to leave SOME things undescribed. Let it stand that He Has a Little Secret and That Little Secret Is Seriously Pi... er, Ticked.

What's remarkable about this film are the little things--the scene where Roberts is reunited with her father as the viewer can almost taste the wine of forgiveness; the moment where Bacon's victim, now grown to full womanhood and obviously as tough as nails, roasts him for an instant with her eyes, then sheds tears in remitting his wrong to her. Baldwin gets it between the eyes from every woman he has filmed, and then fifty times worse from his fiancee. But what makes all of this fit together is a moment of revelation by Sutherland, when he reveals that Bacon "has found the answer to our karmic problems. Atonement, gentlemen."

The overall dark style, reminiscent of the later Badman films (that was supposed to read Batman, but I think I'll leave the typo unchanged) works most of the time, although the first time we encounter Sutherland's dog we see artwork on the walls that is best described as hideous-cheapie... but you take a horror flick as you get it.

The idea that "everything matters, everything we do matters," is a message that Hollywood would rather not repeat. But it's true, and to anyone raised on a steady diet of Old Fashioned Catholic Guilt, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be reminded of occasionally. Sister Mary Brimstone may have been a nasty old bat, but she DID teach the truth about why we're in business. This movie is a small reminder of why.

I've seen comparisons to THE SIXTH SENSE; but young Haley Osborne would not have been a good addition to this cast. Aside from the fact that he would have been about four months old during filming, the otherwise unknown child actor who plays Keifer's Ticked Secret is terrifying to behold. He may be a munchkin, but he's a Munchkin from Hell.

Five stars in my view, but most will find three stars or so. Fair nuff. I like it anyway. A lot.

Rating:
Summary: An unique, different, thrilling film from Schumacher.
Review: When a young, bright but dangerous and ambititous medical student (Kiefer Sutherland) with his fascination with life after death, if there's such a thing. When he convinces four of medical collegues friends (Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin & Oliver Platt) to expierment in a reckless by temporality shut down (flatline) thier heart and brain functions and actually surviving after being dead for a few minutes but once, they had that expiernce, each and one of them, bring something back in thier world from the personal guilt, they have and have to face thier demons and reality, they live in.

Directed by Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys, A Time to Kill, Phone Booth) made an unusual film with an great premise by Peter Filardi (The Craft), which it does pays off quite well. Not everyone will love this strange film with the heart of a supernatural story but it's Schumacher's moody style and energy keeps this alive with Jan de Bont's Excellent Cinematography. Fine Performances by the Cast, including Joshua Rudoy as the Ghost, who haunts the soul by One of the Medical Students. Fine music score by James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Sings). DVD's has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is a Collector's Booklet. This film is Produced by Two-Time Oscar-Winner:Micheal Douglas (One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Star Man). Excellent Production Designs by Eugenio Zanetti (What Dreams May Come, The Haunting). Panavision. Grade:A-.

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

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: Everything we do matters....
Review: I never had the pleasure of seeing this film on the "big screen" which is a shame, as it is often visually stunning, but I have revisited it on video numerous times over the years, enjoying it immensely every time. It definitely is on my personal list of favorite movies, and for more than just starring Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, two of my "actors to watch."

Perhaps I appreciate this film so much because it appeals to my slightly off-kilter taste in entertainment. I like my movies a bit left of center - unpredictable and fresh. And whether or not you "believe" the story line of the film, you have to admit, it is different!

Everyone has different tastes and opinions, but my impression of some of the negative reviews of this movie is that the viewers never really saw past the surface level of this film. They got caught up in technicalities, "Why would there be green lighting in a subway?" or "Why would medical students pull such a stupid stunt?" and failed to see the artistry and psychological depth of the piece.

Yes, there are some medical and technical aspects that do not make logical sense, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief just a tad, this can be a very engaging film.

First, a note about the artistic quality of the movie. Some have complained about the murky lighting, and the illogical nature of the sets - but for me, the use of innovating lighting techniques, the plastic and sheet draped sets, the unusual settings in old buildings and dank, dripping tunnels, the use of statuary, rain and billowing curtains - all add a poetic flavor to this film, a haunting beauty that suits the dark nature of the questions being asked about life, death and forgiveness.

I will focus on just two examples; in an alley scene, a change in lighting allows for certain elements of the set to come dramatically into focus, then to fade away once lighting returns to normal. It is an innovative means of conveying a shift in the "reality" of the moment, and works beautifully. We are also allowed to see the interior of the character's apartments - contrast the warm wood, bright colors, golden lighting and cluttered comfort of Labraccio's rooms with the stark, white void of Nelson's. Both are reflective of the characters themselves. Nelson's lack of "objects" reflect our lack of knowledge about his past... and his carefully constructed mask that keeps his companions at a distance. His past, we come to learn, is one of chaos and conflict. He has determined to leave that behind in favor of an uncluttered emptiness... unfortunately, the emptiness is also reflective of his relationships with others, a realization he comes to along his personal journey of self-discovery in this film.

Flatliners is not your typical horror film. Nor is a typical drama or suspense movie...it is rather more of an amalgamation of all, having the best elements of all genres intertwined in a complex, suspenseful plot.

This is an ensemble piece, and the cast does an excellent job of breathing life into their individual characters. Your immediate impression is that the characters are each representative of a well-established "stereotype": The female ice queen, the slightly neurotic 'physician", the playboy and the socially conscious "nice guy" etc. However, as the film progresses and the characters are further fleshed out, they take on multiple dimensions and depth.

Most interesting of all is Sutherland's character of Nelson. Nelson is not a character that is easy to like - indeed he is a bit of a (...), a master manipulator who definitely places self-interest above all else. Yet, Sutherland plays him with a hint of insecurity that lends him a certain appeal. As events unfold, you come to realize that much of Nelson's unpleasant personality is a smokescreen, a protective mask behind which hides a very uncertain and vulnerable young man burdened by a terrible secret.

By revealing bits and pieces of Nelson's complex personality throughout the film, the writers, directors and cast gradually lead you towards a greater understanding of and sympathy for him. The character who started out as a "jerk" becomes important and valued in his own right - as you learn to "forgive" his previous behavior in light of new information. Your journey of discovery with Nelson reflects the characters own journeys towards self-understanding, as they too come to realize that everyone has value, and "everything we do matters."

Which leads to my final comment. Although many of the posters here have picked up upon the theme of defying death - few seem to have touched upon what I see as the main premise of the movie - the importance of forgiveness, and the need to be cognizant of all you do, because it does "matter."

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: 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: THIS MOVIE HAS A GREAT CAST BUT THAT'S ALL FOLKS!
Review: IT HAS JULIA ROBERTS, KEIFER SUTHERLAND, (YES THEY WERE AN ITEM THEN), KEVIN BACON, AND WILLIAM BALDWIN. THESE PEOPLE ARE THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS MOVIE, EVEN KEIFER WAS SOME WHAT BELIEVABLE IN THIS. TOO BAD, THE MOVIE STUNK. IMAGINE MAKING YOURSELF, OR OTHERS GO INTO A FLATLINE, JUST TO SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE DEAD? SOUNDS GOOD. SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD, BUT IT MISSED BIG TIME. THEY EACH BRING EACH OTHER BACK-TO BAD THEY COULDN'T DO THE SAME WITH THIS MOVIE.