Rating: 
Summary: definitely not a recruitment film!
Review: I have been an EMT for 10 years and enjoyed seeing this film. Nothing in this film is too shocking.Anyone who has worked in EMS would understand.Unfortunately,others do not. Some have said that the events in the film were not realistic. I would say that they were realistic,the events,just filmed in a Hollywood way that embellishes a lot. Cage was perfectly cast for the role.I've worked with a few like him in real life and it can be scary. This presentation of EMS burnout will not entice too many New Yorkers to sign up for a EMT course. It is definitely not a recruitment film,but entertaining anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Disquieting film, forcefully presented
Review: This is a disturbing and realistic character study of Frank Pierce (Nicholas Cage) a burned out paramedic, who is slowly succumbing to the depressing reality of his job and the city he lives in. He is tortured by the futility of his efforts and haunted by self blame about a young woman named Rose whose life he was unable to save. We witness about a week of his life, mostly at work handling medical emergencies. There really isn't much of a plot here. It is mostly a succession of events in the life of an EMT and a psychological study of a man losing his grip under the crushing stress of his vain attempts at saving the dregs of humanity.Martin Scorsese brings his trademark stark realism to the film, with authentic images of the sleazy underbelly of New York City. As always, his camerawork, lighting, sets and locations were delivered with raw power and great dramatic impact. Having grown up in NYC, I was amazed at his ability to capture so perfectly the essence of the city's street life. Unfortunately, the story diverged too often into the bizarre antics of some of the surrounding characters like Noel (Marc Anthony), and fellow paramedics like Larry (John Goodman) and Marcus (Ving Rhames). In heavy handed stories like this one, it is often necessary to have some comic relief, but Scorsese takes this concept around the bend far too often. Nicholas Cage was superb as the self doubting paramedic at the end of his rope. His sense of torment and bipolar mood swings were compelling and potent. Patricia Arquette played a pathetic young woman, the daughter of one of Frank's rescue victims to whom he takes a shine. Makeup did a great job of making her look unbelievably plain and mousy and her portrayal was extremely effective, playing the part with a good deal of angst and despondency. I rated this film a 7/10. It is a disquieting film that is manic-depressive in its presentation and very downbeat and pessimistic in its general tone. Its greatest assets are Cage's performance, and its realistic presentation of raw emotion and the feel of the New York streets. Its flaw is its meandering flow and its excessive and often bizarre digression from the central character study. If you can appreciate a very dark and gloomy film with forceful and poignant portrayals, it's definitely worth a look.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Masterpiece
Review: You can not take your eyes off the screen for a second, if you want to understand this complicated peek into the life of an ambulance driver. The driver (cage) has reached the end of his rope and has done every thing to get fired, but his boss wont fire him because he has potential. He becomes involved with a patiants daughter and slides deeper into depression when the ghost of a lost patiant begins to haunt him. Great supporting performances by Ving Rames, John Goodman, and Tom Sizemor, also a good perfornmance by patricia arquet (the girl). So if you have the time (cause you'll need it) watch this masterfull movie
Rating:
Summary: It's a great movie, it deserves a better DVD
Review: Ten years from now, Bringing Out the Dead will be rememberd as one of the greatest film coming out at the end of the century, just as Taxi Driver is now concidered to be the most important American fim of the 70's, and Raging Bull of the 80's. Because the screenplay was written by Paul Schrader, and that the story takes place in New York's Hell's Kitchen at night, it is often called "another Taxi Driver". Actually, this is quite a different film, and follows more the path that Scorsese and Scharder had taken in The Last Temptation of Christ. It is also some sort of a cinematic twin to Scorsese's previous film Kundun: it is how the compassion, the absolute love can survive in the cruel modern urban universe that is put into question here, and also whether is it possible to achieve it. It is a good film to have on DVD, for to really understand it, you have to see it several times. Scorsese's visual strategy in this film is so complex, the film itself so speedy and so full of adrenarin that it's rather too much emotion for a first-time viewer. Unfortunately, this transfer is fair, but not great. Scorsese and cinematographer Bob Richardson (JFK, Casino) applied a special process called Skip Bleaching which allowed them to enhance the blacks and desaturate the colour. The blacks is also on the DVD, but the color does not represent the correct look. It's just too strong and too colorful, and fails to capture the saddness, the sorrow which is the under-current of this emotinally charged, even often hillarious (especially Marty himself playing the voice of an EMS radio dispatcher) cinematic experience. The special feature interview is basically promotional stuff. But Scorsese is, as always, quite frank and honnest. Because this interview featurette was compiled during the post-production of the film, you can see alternating editing of certain sequences from the film: you see the same images, but the editing is not quite the same, and the music is different. That might be interesting for those who want to have a glimpse behind the creator's mind.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, provocative, darkly funny...
Review: I really like Scorcese's work, and this is one of my more favorites. In this darkly humorous film he returns to NYC to tell several stories, the primary being that of Nic Cage playing a paramedic determined to quit his job, but who just can't let go. We see how he spends his nights, amidst the flotsom and jetsom of NY, saving a few, losing some, and mostly, as he says "bearing witness" to the injury and death that surrounds him. The supporting characters in this film were all strong. From the confused girl he tries to connect with, to the wild and crazy medics he works with, to the cynical and depressed doctors he interacts with, even the suave drug dealer are all fully fleshed out and intriguing. This is not a feel-good movie. It's not a date movie. It's not a chick flick. It's a movie that will make you think, that will swirl around in your head for a while and even disturb you a bit. But that can be a good thing, and makes this movie all the better, in my opinion. Well worth the rental, or purchase on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Distrubing odd dark movie........
Review: Bringing Out the Dead is about Frank, a paramedic who works in the mean streets of New York City. Frank is basically on the verge of burning out, he feels inferior and can't save anyone. He doesn't sleep, eat, and drinks on the job. Things are so bad, Frank tries to get fired but his supervisor won't do it because there is a short supply of paramedics. Through out the movie Frank and his partners are involved in very unusual situations, some funny and others very real. I though Nicolas Cage' performance was excellent as was Ving Rhames and Tom Sizemore. The movie is typical Scorsese and I found it similiar to Taxi Driver. I would probably rent first.
Rating: 
Summary: Gimmie a break...
Review: Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Bringing out the Dead....Which one does not fit? Hmmm. This movie is not even in the same galaxy as Marty's other movies. A) It is too long B) the plot and storyline is convoluted and completely ridiculous. C) Did I mention that it was too long? Steer clear of this turkey and rent Goodfellas if you want to see a modern day classic.
Rating:
Summary: Pathetic self-parody
Review: Scorsese & Schrader seem to be running on fumes. I wanted to like this movie, but it's empty. Everyone both in front of and behind the camera seems just to be going through the motions. But Scorsese is the 'visionary' and has to be saddled with the responsibility for this slapdash movie that veers from slapstick to pathos with abandon. Scorsese and Schrader have gone to the well once to often. To see a *good* movie that re-tills the soil of Taxi Driver see Schrader's Light Sleeper.
Rating: 
Summary: The Dead Will Rise
Review: This is not a bad movie it is the worse movie I have ever seen in my live. It is the only movie that I have gotten out of my seat and left as quickly as I could. This movie will drive the Dead from their grave its so bad. The only reason that I gave this movie a 1 Star was because there wasn't a NO Star. Leave this movie alone, it will be your worse. Who ever made this movie had to be on a hang-over.....It was just a bad movie.
Rating:
Summary: One of 99's best movies
Review: This movie was shocking, hilarious, and ahockingly hilarious. It's as funny as it is violent. People seemed to either love this movie or hate it. Well, personally I loved it. It was, like I said in the title, one of the best movies of '99. Geez, can Scorsese make a bad movie?
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