Mr. Patman

Despite the involvement of a prominent director (John Guillermin of "The Towering Inferno" and "Death on the Nile") and one of the most influential male actors of all times (James Coburn of "The Great Escape" and "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid"), this is probably one of the most obscure and difficult to find movies of the early 80s. Before, maybe, but after having seen the film, this isn't at all surprising to me anymore. "Mr. Patman" is a grim film, with thoroughly unpleasant themes and not a lot of action. And yet, somehow, it's also a strangely intriguing and socially relevant drama, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this film to more demanding cult fans.

The plot can best be described as similar to the 70s cinema-landmark "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", except that the hero is a male nurse instead of a fellow patient, and that he isn't nowhere near as jolly as Jack Nicholson's character was. In fact, it's very strenuous to sympathize with Mr. Patman as depicted by Coburn. It's deeply admirable how he stands up for his patients, while the actual doctors treat them as furniture and only discuss their BMW's. On the other hand, Patman himself is also a bit of a creep who only talks to his cat even though he has two mistresses. The pacing is slow, many of the dialogs are exhausting, and the ending is downright bleak. So, ...proceed with caution.

I don't understand why such a cute little gem was not better known and shown. Of course, it was not destined to large audiences, not the kind of people who crave for action flicks or super heroes crap. It's not a comedy but a bittersweet drama that makes you think, long after you saw it. A very accurate analysis of the human condition, which could make you think, but from another angle, and just because of the mental institution settings, to ONE FLEW OVER A CUCKOO'S NEST, where Jimmy Coburn's character seems to be the Jack Niholson's cousin in Milos Forman's masterpiece. A move made four years earlier. That's my own opinion.