Review of John Q (2002) by David G — 27 Jan 2013

Drama starring Denzel Washington as a desperate father who holds a hospital emergency room hostage following a decision by the manager to refuse his dying son a life-saving heart transplant on the grounds that his insurance doesn't cover the expenses.

The opening act of the film which establishes Denzel's money troubles and strong family bond is very effective, as is the heartbreaking sequence where his son falls ill and he desperately tries to convince the hospital to save him, but once the siege begins it rapidly runs out of steam.

We've seen this type of hostage drama numerous times before (Inside Man, The Negotiator) and there's nothing even remotely original about it from the good cop/bad cop negotiators outside (one wants to end the situation peacefully, the other wants to take him out, natch) to the one-dimentional, cliched hostages who quickly side with their captor.

The film's criticism of the "greedy" US healthcare system and the inherent unfairness of health insurance is also about as subtle as a brick to the face. Still, despite the flaws it's a very watchable "comfort food" film and one you'll want to see through to the end.