Mesures exceptionnelles

Please change the poster of the movie, it doesn't reflect the movie for what it really is. I didn't think that I'll be watching a dramatic feel good movie. I was surprised. Brendan's and Harrison's acting is superb, the dialogs are incredible and the story... the story is a familiar one. Parents who try by extraordinary measures to save their kids' lives who suffer from a deadly illness. Sure, it's a familiar story, but this is worth watching. Engaging, fascinating and no dull moments. I didn't want the movie to end since it made me feel so good. Don't be surprised if you'll even shed a tear.

So ignore the poster and watch this movie if you like heart warming movies.

Harrison Ford still displays great instincts both as an actor and as an executive producer. I believed in his character whole-heartedly, and convincingly-so as the movie unfolded the story. Brendan Fraser is also very convincing as a decent, but desperate and resourceful father. This is a movie that made me want to read the book, research the real issues.

I especially like the way the audience is increasingly drawn in, not only to the family seeking Dr. Stonehill's cutting edge medical research, but, moreover, in to the very lives of other families enduring a plight similar to the family of the main protagonists.

The movie is strong in terms of not over-playing the sentiment, which it would have been so easy to do.

Pretty much what I expected it to be, a well told and heart-warming story about dedication, love and endurance. What I did doubt about this film was the casting. All doubts were quickly dispelled because everyone was PERFECT in their roles. You knew Harrison Ford would deliver but both Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell were amazing as desperate parents determined to save their kids. The film is predictable, maybe to a fault and really didn't go for the deep emotional impact that I was expecting but it still hits home hard enough. The ending seemed also to be somewhat abrupt but still, I enjoyed this movie very much.

The faceplate reviewer goes out of his way to pan the leads, Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser as being too old, curmudgeonly and too fat and weepy. OK. Thanks for expressing those opinions, which, BTW, I don't share. Yes. There's no doubt this is a sentimental flick with great emotional overtones and certainly qualifies as a three hanky job. Seeing children suffer, whether they're cute, charming, cuddly or not, is not pleasant. But, the fact that there are these kinds of kids who endure the ravages of disease stemming from their own bodies is a sad reality and I would argue it takes a pretty stern person to consider these conditions unemotionally. The movie is based on a book and like any biopic, a certain amount of license is taken in bringing the story to the screen. However, the story is never maudlin. The script is full of sentiment but never slips down to the level of being overly sentimental. In effect, it's a tale of people with various agendas driven by the desperation of a father trying to help his children from dying an early death. There is no deus ex machina, here. The conflicts which impede the goal largely stem from the personal agendas of the players in the drama. Sound familiar? You bet. That's what good writing is all about and when life imitates myth, it's even better. This is a good movie. Go see it. And, if you do so without puddling up at the eyeballs, you're made of sterner stuff than me.

Based on Geeta Anand's book, Tom Vaughan's 'Extraordinary Measures' starts off like the typical Hollywood film. With the formulaic score and introduction of the protagonist as a successful executive with a happy family..until one sees that the two youngest children of the protagonists are suffering from Pompe's disease, an illness that atrophies the muscle and nerve cells and leads to death. The doctors aren't optimistic about the prognosis of the disease for which there's no found cure. However, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) isn't giving up and he pursues researcher Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) who may have the answer to the solution.

The film does tend to be sentimental at times and it does occasionally resemble the 'TV film of the week' but what drives it are the performances. Fraser's performance has been criticized for being too emotional while Russell was criticized for the opposite. But I don't see why characters have to be gender-stereotyped to be realistic. Why is it impossible for the mother to be more controlled and the father to be more vocal and demonstrative about feelings? That said, I did feel that Keri Russell's role was underdeveloped even though the actress does a brilliant job with what she's given. I also would have liked to see more of Harrison Ford who was simply terrific as the stubborn and fiercely independent Stonehill. Brendan Fraser is great as the father and husband who won't give up at any cost. Of the supporting cast, Courtney B. Vance stands out.

Flawed it may be...the pacing is uneven and at times the film loses track. The execution is fairly ordinary but not intrusive. The picture does provide some insight on an illness that isn't so commonly known but at times it confuses the viewer with half-baked explanations. However, the performances lift 'Extraordinary Measures' from being an average flick.