Review of You Don't Know Jack (2010) by Panta O — 17 Jan 2012

It is a very controversial story about Jack Kevorkian, the doctor who spent eight years in jail for his role in assisting the terminally ill to commit suicide. It's supposed to be a "loose" adaptation of the book Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie...( I believe it is hard for everyone to adapt a book with such a title).

Al Pacino was brave enough to take on the role of Kevorkian, a friendly enough looking older fellow whose name has become synonymous with assisted suicide. Kevorkian created a device to assist the terminally ill in their own suicides - 130 of them - which earned him the nickname Dr. Death, eight years in jail, and a Time magazine cover. My opinion is that at moments this role was just TOO MUCH for Pacino - he tried too hard! When you compare it with the acting of Susan Sarandon and John Goodman, which were less complex roles - I admit that, at the time you can find yourself gasping for breath asking yourself - why? - he could do it more naturally... I am not sure that Dr. Kevorkian was most of the time "lost in space" like this movie is portraying him, but at least the director managed to show that he had a passion in whatever he was doing and a conviction that he is doing a right thing. He missed the opportunity to make this rather dark and heavy film at the moments, enriched with the real life Kevorkian - he was a jazz musician and composer (The Kevorkian Suite: A Very Still Life was a 1997 release CD). There was an attempt to add a smidge of levity and inappropriate humour, but I do not think it was too effective. At the end seems like a somewhat empathetic look at this controversial man.

Interesting biopic- nothing more, nothing less - just a watchable Sunday afternoon film (with your older relatives).