Quid Pro Quo

Movie about an odd, underground segment, the intellectually passive version of Cronenberg's Crash. People who want to be crippled from the waste down and confined to a wheelchair.

It is more than that. It's set within a mystery as to whether a radio reporter is getting lured into a trap or fake story. And unlike Crash, there's no drug connection. It's more psychological, but equally dark, simply without the ambiance and style that Crash had.

The downside is that some of it seems too setup and the story under-developed. The result is that it seems less like a theater film and more like a TV movie, but worth watching.

This was probably the worst movie I have seen since The Arrival. And one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. Having been suckered into renting this horrific piece of garbage, i left the movie experience feeling ill- literally. Horrible screen writing, atrocious acting, contrived bullshit plots, and unbelievable characters. Magic Shoes? Ginger Jake? Am I expected to believe that somebody who has been in a wheelchair for 20 years could just get up and start walking. Somehow I don't think the human body works that way. If they wanted to make a sci-fi movie maybe they should have contacted Spielberg. How could Vera Farmiga go from being in The Departed to being in this horrendous crap pile of a movie. She should shoot her agent. And anyone who liked this film should shoot themselves.

QUID PRO QUO shows us that no matter how entrenched we are in our world view, there are always people who feel, with equal intensity, the exact opposite. Who would trade mobility for a wheelchair? Meet the characters in this film. QUID PRO QUO examines a psycho-sexual subgroup who feel that they are normal, but "trapped in a walking person's body". We are introduced to a paraplegic radio talk show host who meets a young woman who yearns to be disabled. This part is played by the radiantly crazy Vera Farmiga who rolls over Nick Stahl's staid NPR persona with willful glee. Farmiga injects a recklessly erotic element to this otherwise plodding script. She throws down a little MURDERBALL into this decidedly odd and weird universe, and as to why she is up to all of this? It becomes the strange trick-ending to this odd bit of fantasy. If you liked David Cronenberg's film, CRASH, you might enjoy this movie's nutty vibe.

I watch a lot films; in a week it differs from 5 to 10. This screenplay was unique in way that made me think about myself and life and how vulnerable we are.

These two very interesting characters where the moment you met them you want to learn more about them is acted by two very talented actor/actress named Nick Stahl and elegant Vera Farmiga. Before the half of the movie I presumed the big twist about the Nick's character but it was hidden and portrayed in a fine way that when the answer is shown to the audience, you don't feel so much surprise but also you don't feel cheated in any way. Hence, it feels like life itself.

Consequently, the ending which was very beautiful cinematographically with a touch of reality that makes it absolutely delicious that leads to pause when Nick's character ends the film with the line: Isacc Knott, Public Radio, New York.

Quid Pro Quo is a character study focusing on people who wish they were paraplegics or amputees, and their interaction with an actual paraplegic. The film's greatest attribute is its performances. Vera Farmiga and Nick Stahl both create excellent portrayals of their characters, with Farmiga's performance being particularly moving.

Although many reviewers have compared this piece to David Cronenberg's Crash, this movie is actually a far different work. Whereas the Cronenberg movie, like the J. G. Ballard novel it was based on, took a very cold, analytical look at its subject matter, this film delves into their psychology. It is a much easier film to engage with, and ultimately more rewarding as well.

The film is not perfect by any means. Its focus on sex as empowerment comes across as oversimplified and even vaguely insulting to the disabled. Furthermore, the plot developments that comprise the last ten minutes of the movie border on the absurd, and survive largely on the strength of the actors' performances.

Nonetheless, the film is well worth a watch.