Rating: 
Summary: see it
Review: yes denzel is back sgain. this is a good movie that an interesting plot. denzel is greatnes like always.he holds the screen with such chirisma and acts so good he actually becomes this character. this movie is great so see it. u can understand y this character is doin this and they establish the love that he has for his son so well its hard not to like this film. its good enough for a low 4
Rating: 
Summary: The movie stars Denzel Washington (The Movie Still Sucks)
Review: Denzel, Robert Duval, James Woods, Ray Liotta - and yet none of these talented artists could save this debacle of a movie. This good guy gone bad genre has got to end!I was truly amazed at how choppy, awkward, and just plain stupid the lines are. The seem so random and inappropriate that at times I laughed. There is absolutely no sense of despair - the audience quite frankly yawns. Did the director want the audience to feel the internal struggle Dr. James Woods has - wether to operate or not? What was the point of having that annoying guy who hit his wife? To take attention away from a supposed HOSTAGE SITUATION!!!! HELLO??!?!?! This is like SONY'S MY FIRST FILM. We have another supposedly dramatic struggle between the veteran Duval and the flashy new chief, Ray Liotta - is this what passes for character development???? The crowd cheering on John Q from the outside of the hospital, truly pathetic. This movie should have been named John Doe - hopefully no one would claim it...
Rating: 
Summary: Fight the System!
Review: This movie has an interesting premise but unfortunately falls into the traps of most mainstream movies out there. Denzel Washingston`s character threatens some peolpe`s lives and makes them hostages in an emergency room of a Chicago hospital. By doing so, he hopes that his ill soon will get an heart transplant since his health care can`t cover it. This will lead to a troublesome situation that gets the attention from the media and leaves the country in suspense. But John Q is, after all, just a nice guy that loves his son and will sacrifice himsfelf to save him if required. Director Nick Cassavetes brings food for thought and raises questions about the health care system, heroism, altruism, individualism, relationships and media power, but the plot isn`t particularly clever or subtle. The story here follows the more obvious, predictable and basic approach, typical of an average hollywood movie.
Despite a couple of good ideas and moments, this soon turns into cheap, unoriginal and tired melodrama with stereotyped characters and a set of old cliches. The ending comes out as completely expected and unsurprising.
A missed opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Very powerful movie, sniffle, sniffle:(
Review: All I can say is wow!!! Wow, wow and wow again!!! A very powerful movie of just exactly how far a father will go to save his son. Truly this movies tests the very depths of sacrifice. The acting is top-flight with Denzel, Robert Duvall, Anne Heche and Ray Liotta. Heche's character is one rotten beotch!!! Duvall's character is an easy going but hard-nosed and fair hostage negotiator. Liota's character is a little weak, I sometimes find it difficult to accept him at his role. Denzel is perfect, god he's good!!! The movie is very effective with extreme twists of shock, for instance Denzel's willingness to give up his own heart. Perhaps a little long and sometimes dry, but never disappointing. The ending is sad, but it could have ended tragically and so it did not. Justice must be carried out.
Rating:
Summary: Get the tissues out
Review: This is one of the most heart-wrenching movies I've ever seen. You really identify with Denzel Washington, and a couple of the other characters. I first saw this film at the cinema on the 1st May 2002, and it's one of those meaningful dates/films in my life, for different reasons. I'll always remember this film for those reasons. The very start of the film won't make sense - but keep watching, believe me, you'll figure it out long before anything actually happens. I wouldn't have chosen any other actor to play Denzel Washington's character. He played the part well, whether crying about his son, or threatening to kill himself, just so his son could have a heart. He really throws himself into the film totally, and the other actors support him totally - except Anne Heche, who is just expressionless throughout. Re-watching this movie, a year and a half afterwards, it had a different effect on me, and it almost seems to be based on a true-life story. Especially right in the last shot, when you see "for Sasha". It may have certain elements from true life, as all films do, but I was very surprised NOT to see "based on true life" on the cover or during the film credits. The lovely Shawn Hatosy also stars in this, looking very nice all dressed in black, and much sexier with darker hair. (He's starred in another of my fave films, Down To You). Robert Duvall is also great, although he's played this type of character so often; you don't really notice him. The little kid (who's name I forget) was just unbelievable in this. He played the part so well, although he spent the best part of it in bed! Along with his screen dad, they were the best characters in this movie. This is definitely a surprising movie, and I'm pleased to own this on DVD. You'll definitely need some tissues, especially when Denzel Washington starts crying!
Rating:
Summary: Great Message. Great Acting by Denzel. Horrible Script.
Review: John Q. has several problems. You watch the movie and you wonder, "How did they get all these actors to do such a crummy movie?" It was a question that boggled many but was finally answered upon seeing the entireity of the movie. Everyone involved knew what they wanted and cared about the message, but could not even fathom the terrible mess it would become. When sitting down to write the script, I'm sure the idea of health insurance and it's wrongful ways would make a good movie with an overwhelming message to let people know that they are not the only ones who think the health insurance plans are ridiculous and downright awful at times. When I first saw the trailer, I was impressed that a movie was going to touch on a subject that has battled with many americans throughout their lives. I was excited to finally see this movie and hear what they had to say. Did I get the message? Yes, I did, but not like I wanted it. The message was there, but the problem was it was completely succumbed by the horrible script and at times the unfinished arguments. I have never heard so many awful lines in a movie. Every saying felt unrealistic as well as ridiculous. The makers beat the audience over the head with the message so many times you almost want to rebel against it. It is completely over-the-top in religious christianity. There were so many stupid lines trying to make a point in the direction of christianity but came off as so pointless causing the viewer to be turned off. During the hospital scene, the hostages would constantly argue with one another bringing up pretty good discussion topics to why America and the systems we have are they way they are. But once again, this was unfortunatley messed up. A discussion topic would always be brought up but never concluded. It was terribly unsatisfying to see this and made the viewer want to say, "What's the point of bringing these discussions up if they are never answered and have nothing to do with the movie?" It's another cheap shortcut in hollywood to take up time between the main plot in the movie. The makers of the film, as well as the actors, obviously wanted to touch the hearts of audiences with it's message on health care. It's a great topic and I believe this could have been a really great film, but as the film makers now know, as well as the audience, you can't have a great topic with great acting surrounded by a lousy script and plot. For it's because of these things the message was drowned causing a once thoughtful idea, into a complete laughable mess.
Rating: 
Summary: There is no stopping this man
Review: Denzel made me cry in this movie. This movie is powerful and touching at the same time. Denzel once again gives an unforgettable performance. There is no doubt about it this movie has to be in your movie collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Missed opportunity...
Review: Denzel Washington, like Johnny Depp, is a rare breed of a Hollywood actor. He's a "pretty boy" who can actually ACT. When watching one of his lesser films, his performance almost makes me forget that the material he has to work with is mediocre (Fallen) to the point of being almost horrible (the Bone Collector). Denzel Washington. An excellent actor with a questionable agent. I call it the "Morgan Freeman" syndrome. After Training Day, all eyes were on Denzel's next film, John Q. To put it bluntly, what had the potential to be a terrific film nearly falls flat on it's face. It's obvious that director Cassavetes' heart was in the right place (his daughter was the inspiration for this movie), but the script is pretty bland. It starts out great, but once John takes the hospital staff and patients hostage, it just turns into something that we've all seen before. There's a few moments that are pretty tense and tear-jerking, but it's not enough to save the movie. Two stars for the movie; one star added for Denzel's great performance.
Rating:
Summary: It's just so improbable !
Review: I was expected a good movie and i found this movie just not good enough ! Too many coincidences make this movie not realistic at all ! The character's dialogues are just stupid and it's also full of cliches.A great deception ! A movie for Grand Daddy and Mummy for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Action movie with a political edge
Review: It is not often one encounters a mainstream Hollywood movie with an overtly liberal agenda and it is its attack on the American public health sysytem that is by far the most interesting thing about this re-run of Dog Day Afternoon in which a hospital stands in for a bank as the buildinh being held up.
John Q Archibald is a hard working factory worker on part time and feeling the economic pinch as he can only stand by as his wife's car is repossesssed owing to missed payments.The marriage is under strain and his world collapses totally when his son collapses and is diagnosed with an overly large heart which needs to be transplanted or else death is imminent.The problem is finance -he turns out to be underinsured and despite major endeavours he is still sdhort of the sum required when the hospital transfer him to the county hospital with its lower standards of medical care.
Result? He bursts into the hospital and takes a number of medical staff and emergency patients to draw attention to his plight and force the hospital to traet his son.
The police negotiator -Robert Duvall -tries to end the siege peacefully in the glare of media scrutiny ,handicapped by the publicity seeking police chief -Ray Liotta ,and the cynical money conscious hospital administrator -Anne Heche The siege sequences are standard by the numbers big Hollywood movie making but the acting is strong enough to carry the viewer through some over familiar dialogue and situations but the barbed references to medical cynicism and the plight of the economically disadvantaged keep the movie alive and out of the mundane.
Providing you don't mind some emotionally manipulative scenes towards the climax this is good and provocative movie making that asks some pertinent questions about just how long we should tolerate the situation wherby
inequalities in wealth lead inexorably to gross inequalities in health . Recommended for the issues it raised without preaching.
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