Paper Mask

Paper Mask has got to be one of my most favourite films. The concept is so original and gripping. Paul McGann is fantastic as Porter-cum-Doctor Matthew Harris/Simon Hennessey. Although now nearly ten years old, this film is still brilliant to watch, and keeps you guessing right until the end.

After a doctor is killed in an accident, an orderly (Paul McGann) assumes his identity, taking his place as a hospital's new Casualty Officer. The plan soon goes pear-shaped resulting in disaster and death.

PAPER MASK is a well-made, British medical drama / psychological thriller. Part of the fun is wondering how long the orderly-turned-doctor can get away with his ruse. As his life gets more complicated, it becomes clear that it won't be long before it all crashes down on him.

Amanda Donohoe is Christine, a very helpful nurse, and Tom Wilkinson is the ultra-demanding Doctor Thorn...

Paul McGann is Matthew Harris, who after a car accident, is able to fool everyone around him that he is a deceased medical student at a British hospital. He is assisted in his ruse by a very capable nurse, Christine Taylor(Amanda Donohoe).

A fair comparison could be Paddy Chayevsky's classic The Hospital, with a jump over the pond. McGann and Donohoe are a perfect pair of flamboyant, off the wall strangers who manage to connect at some level. Paper Mask is one of my favorite unknown movies.

The attraction of the story is that it is entirely within the realm of possibility, and all the more so in view of the seemingly increasing incidence of medical impropriety these days. Hitchcock like in its use of the inevitable as an instrument of suspense, this gem will keep you glued to your seat to the end.

If Robin Cook or Michael Creighton had written this, their names alone would have made this a blockbuster.

The only shortcoming of this film is that the people responsible for promoting it at its first release evidently didn't have a clue. This is yet another example of the abysmal ignorance of marketing on the part of the British film industry. Evidently the owners of the property don't like making money. The only thing this film lacked was a marketing budget and someone to market it.

This is a film that should be released on DVD as a 20th anniversary edition or some such thing, and properly promoted. The owners are sitting on a valuable asset.

In the mean time, if you spot a VHS copy, snag it for your collection. You'll be glad you did.

Despite being over 30 years old now, this film has aged pretty well and is still a very effective (measured) thriller. Pretty much everything here is spot on, from the two wonderful leads (Paul McGann and Amanda Donohoe) to an effective script and tight direction/editing. A "lost" little gem.