Erin Brokovich, Norma Rae, Karen Silkwood... These names conjure fear in Corporate America. Karly Hart could walk along these stately women belting out their own rendition of Whitney Houston's "I'm every Woman." Katherine Heigel of ABC's recent hit "Grey's Anatomy" plays the part of the impressionable; "legal" drug dealing, Karly. Heigel brings a vulnerability and bewitching beauty to a story seeded in ugliness.A story, in fact, so ugly that, by the end, has reared its ugly head and transformed itself into a swan. Rarely, does a story leap off the screen and force you to pay attention to the veracity, not masquerading behind special effects, not big glitzy endings, but, instead,focusing on truth. In this case, the truth is the sobering enlightenment of the pharmaceutical industry, a truth that writer/director, Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau, knows all to well. For ten years, she saw the world Karly Hart views through her exploited eyes, witnessing for herself the corruption and deceit of the pharmaceutical industry. Side Effects is a film that is important in a time when we are consumed by the instant fix; it's a wake up call when a slow down is needed to open the eyes of a country engulfed by convenience. Make my potato in 30 seconds, get me there faster, and please Doc, get rid of my heartburn as quickly as possible. "Side Effects" gives you the reason to stop and ask, why? While the acting is on par and the filming, at times, does have an unfinished feel to it, it adds to the rawness, unpolished, and green world of Karly Hart. Make sure you check out "Side Effects," now playing in Milwaukee and Madison, and check out our Feature story on Kathleen and Holly Mosher in the January issue of Wisconsin on the Reel.I can sleep better now thanks to Kathleen... well, Kathleen and Ambien.Ryan Ripp- WOR

I saw Side Effects at the premier in Wisconsin and thought it was a wonderful film, despite a few technical issues. I found it to be enjoyable, informative and relevant. The acting was great, especially the boss-lady, Dorian DeMichele. I would have liked to see more of her on screen as she has a strong screen presence and a great deal of talent. Kathleen Heigl was believable and easy to watch, as was the rest of the cast. I have told my friends about this film and hoped it would travel to NYC where I live, but alas, it has not arrived. I recommend it, especially if you are in any way interested in the pharmaceutical industry. My only criticism was that the kissing scene went on a bit too long!

Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau's indie film, Side Effects, is a funny but accurate and intelligent portrayal of what it's like to work as a pharmaceutical sales rep. It was shot in Madison, Wisconsin, in 18 days on a budget of $190,000, and it's better than most of the Hollywood blockbusters I've seen so far this year. Writer/director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau was a pharmaceutical sales rep for 10 years for two of the biggest companies (Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson) before becoming thoroughly disillusioned and leaving the industry to write this fictional script based on her experiences as a rep.The movie stars Katherine Heigl (of the TV series, Grey's Anatomy) as Karly Hert, a young woman struggling to reconcile her values with the slick requirements and lack of ethics in her job as a pharmaceutical rep. Lucien McAfee plays Karly's boyfriend, Zach Danner. The rest of the cast and crew consists of local Wisconsinites, including the film's Hollywood producer, Holly Mosher, a Milwaukee native.This is heavy subject matter, but it's successfully presented as a comedy/romance. Side Effects is informative and thoroughly entertaining.

The screenplay is beyond clunky and obvious, and sounds as though it were written by a high school freshman. The supporting actors are painfully hammy. The film quality was lacking- out of focus half the time, and it seemed as though it were shot in full screen but being shown wide screen. The concept is there, it's just the execution that kills it all. Katherine Heigel had cute moments, but overall could not overcome the bad material. This is a movie that needed to be made, but should have been made well. The pacing drags, and the "wacky" jokes fall through. Don't waste your money. There are some indies that should never see the light of day, and this is one of them.