Review of Puncture (2011) by Panta O — 08 Jul 2012

This independent melodrama starring Chris Evans was a very tough to pull off for directors Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen. The movie is based on the true story of Michael David 'Mike' Weiss and Paul Danziger and as any movie with agenda it was hard to complete it that everyone could be satisfied! I know that it was as one of the spotlight films for the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival because it had potential with its right ingredients: corrupt corporate villain and a sympathetic victim, an interesting young lawyer (idealistic to a degree).

It starts very promising, but at the end just fails to assemble everything together into a compelling package. One of the problems I noticed was that the main character Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) who is a young Houston lawyer and a drug addict, is trying too hard to bring us the drug addict part that he undermines the successful lawyer part! On the other hand his law firm parner Paul Danziger (co-director Mark Kassen) who is his longtime friend never notices that! I like the concept of exposing the health care and pharmaceutical conspiracy which is becoming everyday affair and normal all around the world that it doesn't even raise eyebrows anymore - it's becoming just another toothless tiger. This story is based on two young lawyers and a syringe manufacturer who had invented a safety syringe that he was unable to sell and there was an antitrust lawsuit against the two largest hospital group purchasing organizations and a large syringe manufacturer claiming he was being shut out of the market - at the end the case was settled before trial for $150 million.

A passing reference in the movie was the most significant moment (at least for me) and it was kept "under the carpet" for a long time: research has proven needle reuse, rather than sex, have been the main cause of the rapid spread of AIDS in Africa!

Noble cause was maybe a reason to make this movie, but, the final product, was somehow unfinished business! I think it is watchable, though, and sometimes even enjoyable!