Playing God (1997)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writer (WGA):

Mark Haskell Smith (written by)

Release Date:

17 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

Joining this deadly underworld was easy. But getting out...deadly!

Plot:

Stripped of his medical license after performing an operation while high on amphetamines, famed LA surgeon...

Plot Keywords:

Surgeon | Doctor | Medical | Drugs | Drug Addiction

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Dr. Eugene Sands
Timothy Hutton	...	Raymond Blossom
Angelina Jolie	...	Claire
Michael Massee	...	Gage
Peter Stormare	...	Vladimir
Andrew Tiernan	...	Cyril
Gary Dourdan	...	Yates
John Hawkes	...	Flick
Will Stewart	...	Perry
Philip Moon	...	Casey
Pavel Lychnikoff	...	Andrei (as Pavel D. Lynchnikoff)
Tracey Walter	...	Jim
Sandra Kinder	...	Sue
Bill Rosier	...	Jerry
Keone Young	...	Mr. Ksi

Also Known As:

Playing Hero

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence, gore, pervasive language and some drug use.

Runtime:

94 min | Netherlands:91 min | Philippines:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Philippines:R-18 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA | Poland:18

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Beacon Communications

Trivia:

David Duchovny plays a doctor asked by a criminal to help his friend. Duchovny says "He's dead." Pointing a gun at Duchovny, the criminal says, "Well, fix him!" Duchovny responds, "I'll see what I can do." Twenty years earlier, in A Bridge Too Far (1977), James Caan plays a soldier who takes a wounded comrade to a field doctor. After the doctor tells him his friend is dead, Caan points a gun at the doctor and insists that he look at his friend. The doctor replies, "I can give him a quick examination if you like."

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Photographs are being taken at a Lakers game with a digital camera, but we hear the sound of a motor drive.

Quotes:

Eugene Sands: Tonight, I said to myself, "I will not get high." I might just as well have said to myself, "Tonight, I will not breathe."

Soundtrack:

If the Sea Was Whiskey

A surprisingly decent Thrill-packed drama

This film started off seeming a little bit tv-ish but turned out as a very watchable and slightly tongue-in-cheek thrill-ride. David Duchovny is very watchable and provides multiple sides of his lead character, a geeky surgeon, a down-and-out druggy, a hard-balled hero and a hopeless Romeo. Fighting for the love of Angelina Jolie as the sexy and good-natured mistress of Tim Hutton. Hutton has loads-a-fun as the hip and ultra-slick Mob boss, very almost unconvincingly evil, but not quite. Peter Stormare is underused and loud roles with screaming obscenities certainly aren't his scene, roles such as the one in "Fargo" suit his style alot better. The narration is well-used and Duchovny's voice is interesting as he explains his past, feelings, opinions. But unfortunately there's a point where his slightly mono-style voice gets a little too much. Still, he proves a solid lead and leads the film into a successful finale, ending a worth-while and overlooked Thriller from 1997.