This well-executed hospital thriller is only marred by trying to make Hugh Grant into an action hero when quite obviously he isn't cut out for that type of role. Thus, amid the fairly interesting conspiracy parts of the film, we get some generic action components like a fight in a lift and a shootout on an underground train track. If the makers had dropped these and concentrated on more subtle methods to get Grant - like the great scene where he finds cocaine planted in his apartment - then this would have been a better film altogether.As it stands, EXTREME MEASURES is a competent film, very good in places but as a whole just about average. The whole "conspiracy" aspect of the film is a clichéd one by now, but its kept realistic and never fails to be suspenseful. The film successfully engages the viewer into wanting to find out the truth behind all of the mystery at the beginning. The cast is packed with familiar faces and the performances are generally all on the good side. I'll make no apology that I personally dislike Hugh Grant; but I'll grudgingly admit that he's not bad here in one of his rare non-comedy roles. Gene Hackman is second-billed as the chief villain, but he only gets about twenty minutes screen time so doesn't get to make much of an impact, but hey, he's Gene Hackman. David Morse (THE LANGOLIERS) does his stony-faced villain role again (I prefer him as a good guy) while Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty much wasted as a fellow doctor, with absolutely nothing to do.This film's real problem is that the bad guys are actually doing their surgery for the good of mankind; they're just going about it unethically. This means that Hackman can't be made out to be too much of a villain; as basically his heart and spirit are in the right place. This aspect of his character goes at odds with the action-thriller's demand for violence and murder, so on one hand we watch him carry out beneficial surgery, and on the other he's barking out orders to have Grant killed. It doesn't make much sense and so makes the last half hour of the film a very uneasy one, where we're asked to sympathise with murderers after all. I get the feeling that the scriptwriter had dug himself into a hole and wasn't sure how to get out at this point.However, there is an excellent interlude about halfway through where Grant ventures down below the subway system into a spooky world where all the homeless live. This echoes the likes of DEATH LINE, C.H.U.D., and THE NIGHT STRANGLER in its depiction of a frightening world hidden from our own, and is one of my favourite themes in film. There are also plenty of suspenseful bits too, which keep this flawed film from ever getting boring. EXTREME MEASURES is watchable and for the most part intelligent but, due to the story's indecisiveness about its villains, not brilliant.

This is one of the better medical-oriented thrillers, or even medical-oriented movies in general, and I was prepared to issue it eight stars up until the final scene where Dr. Luthan is walking down the steps of N.S.U. with none other than the person who, very suspiciously, dogged and thwarted him through the movie, his supervisor, Dr. Manko. I was appalled when I saw that, and consider it a script error.Now they are buddies and all is forgiven? Manko was not a part of the conspiracy? Then why were we led to believe, repeatedly, that he was?If that is not enough, what happened next was enough to force me to detract one star and weep for what could have been movie that makes an important and powerful statement for human rights, and humanity in general: When Ruth Myrick offers Dr. Luthan Dr. Myrick's notes (sic), the movie sends a message and projects the erroneous, cynical assumption that in society today, there is widespread approval, by intelligent, cultured, principled people, of the savagery inflicted by her husband.When Dr. Luthan, after all of his diligence and vigilance, actually accepted the research material borne-of-murder-and-torture, it literally reversed and convoluted the established tenor and heart of the picture.It was abhorrent and inexcuseable.Dr. Luthan, when offered the media, had the opportunity to underline, summarize and emphasize his world-view and code-of-ethics, as a doctor of medicine, and as a human being. A great opportunity was missed.Other scriptual wrong-turns; 1.) Placing Jodie Trammel (and her brother) as part of the conspiracy. By-the-way, why wasn't she and he indicted? 2.) The vague notion of "the room". The definition seems to have morphed in the script, from a hospital room of torture to a homeless refuge far underground (with people who never come up to the surface)?Any other movie with these inconsistencies and horrible ending, I would have given 4 or 5 stars to. The promise of Extreme Measures was not fulfilled in the end, but the story is one of great social pertinence and one we should not forget nor dismiss. With "medicine's" singular focus on profit, it is highly likely that something like the scenario described in this movie could take place, performed by U.S. companies in either the U.S. or some other, more-receptive country. This could have been a great movie.

Extreme Measures (1996): Dir: Michael Apted / Cast: Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Morse, Debra Monk: Provocative thriller regarding decisions and consequences. Hugh Grant plays a surgeon who ends up in the underground homeless where people are being tested for medical purposes. Eventually he is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Intriguing plot that is quite graphic but its conclusion asks questions regarding preserving life. Tense directing by Michael Apted who often addresses the human condition and motives. He previously directed Coal Miner's Daughter and Gorillas in the Mist, and this ranks as one of his greats. Grant plays off confusion and anguish in his search for answers and reasoning. Eventually he is put in position where results are a must since his career and reputation are on the line. This is a very different role from his usual romantic comedy roles, and he is backed by good supporting players. Gene Hackman steals every scene he is in as this genius surgeon with costly theories. Sarah Jessica Parker appears in a wheelchair. She is paralyzed from the waist down and looked to Hackman for a cure. Smaller roles are flat including David Morse as an F.B.I. Agent. While the film has plenty of suspense, it is the idea of using people as risks to find a cure that elevate it above standard conventions. Theme ponders whether a cure is worth the sacrifice. Score: 9 ½ / 10

Is it justifiable to kill innocent people to save thousands of lives? What if these people won't be missed by anybody?This fundamental question behind "Extreme Measures" raises the film above the level of a purely forgettable action-adventure story. Two different positions on this issue are represented in the film by doctors played by Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman. Most of the movie focuses on Grants investigation on the nature of the mysterious deaths of several homeless people, an investigation that leaves him to uncover the truth behind research conducted by Gene Hackman.In the meantime there's some routine, below-par chase scenes. It's all been done before, and better. An absolutely endless journey into an underground subway goes on for far too long. Hugh Grant is a surprising choice for his role but fares surprisingly well, despite his simply distracting hair.But what's really worth thinking about is the ethical dilemma. Is Hackman's abduction (and essential murder) of the homeless men a justifiable way to find life-saving cures Hugh's stance, that the men didn't ask to be heroes, perhaps makes the most sense, but the question remains. Unfortunately the film requires and unlikely (but once again competently done) shootout to put an end to the conflict. But the film deserves credit for raising the issue, an issue that could very well become increasingly relevant to life and research. 2/4