Side Effects

Side Effects is a movie that really suffers because of its budget. I think with more money there could have been more done to make this movie better. It basically ends up being an OK movie with a good heart and brain.

The movie plays up the ridiculousness of the American pharmaceutical business and does a good job of it. The story is really alright and I only have minor qualms with the script. The acting (aside from Heigl, who was great aside from her strange tantrum scene) is poor at best and some of the shots had me shaking my head. There seemed to be an inordinate amount of closeup shots of actor's faces in this film. I started realizing about halfway through the film how everything felt like it was zoomed in when it was just one person on screen.

The movie's got a good moral to it and I enjoyed the Madison backdrops, but with a little better funding and maybe some better editing and camera work, it really could have been a better film.

5 out of 10.

I'm still in shocked, wondering how come a movie can be so horrible done. This movie has good intentions. Trying to open people's eyes is always a good thing. But that's about it. Good intentions.

The movie follows the story about a young woman who finds herself into the world of the pharmaceutical industry, while trying to maintain her ideals and integrity.

20 minutes into the film, and you'll be already laughing at how bad is this movie. Sub plots coming out of nowhere, bad acting performances, lack of rhythm, no direction whatsoever, painfully edited, sometimes shots are even out of focus …. I can go on forever. Katherine Heigl tries to put something out of nothing, but that's just not enough.

I've rated a 3/10, only because of the good intentions of the film and a plus point for Katherine Heigl.

Karly Hert (Katherine Heigl) is hired by the Braden-Andrews to work as pharmaceutical sales representative persuading doctors to prescribe drugs from Braden-Andrews. Karly feels a moral dilemma with her unethical job, but is seduced by the salary, car, bonus and benefits offered by the corporation.

When Karly meets her former rep Zach Danner (Lucian McAfee), they fall in love with each other. Karly gives a schedule of six months to quit her job and she decides to be honest with the physicians. The result increases the market share of Braden-Andrews and Karly is promoted; receives a BMW as an upgrade; and lives a conflictive situation.

When the anti-depressive Vivexx is approved by FDA, Karly finds that there are medical reports showing lever issues hidden by the industry. Karly is nominated by Braden-Adrews to the award Industry Rep of the Year and she needs to take a decision.

"Side Effects" is a low-budget movie about the American pharmaceutical industry that moves billions of dollars per year and occasionally hides side effects of some medicines using unethical doctors that are bribed to prescribe their medicines. Coincidently I saw "Love and Other Drugs" yesterday that has many similar situations.

The plot romantically and ethically speaking gives a good message about the corrupted system. However, it is hard to believe on the story of Karly Hert, a young woman that climbs socially selling her soul to the Devil, and seeks redemption reporting the truth about a new medicine on the day that she reaches the top of her career with dedication.

Both Karly and Zach have consciously worked in the pharmaceutical industry aware of how the system works, and Karly has paid her bills and Zach has raised his savings for his dreams using the industry. Therefore, she is totally disloyal with her employer and her last attitude is a total betrayal. Therefore she was also extremely unethical in her behavior exposing the inside information that she had the way she does. Does the end justify the means? My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Efeitos Colaterais" ("Side Effects")

This film is about a young woman who markets medication to doctors. In the process, she became indulgent in the materialistic pleasures that the drug company can provide. In the end, she found her conscience taking over.

This film is refreshing. For a start, it is not every day that a film about drug companies gets made. Secondly the acting is great. Katherine Heigl portrays the emotions vividly, and is confident and convincing as a drug rep. In addition, the plot is also good, as we get to see how money is showered on the people involved to make drug reps work harder and to make doctors prescribe their drugs.

There are several "interviews" of doctors interspersed in the film, asking the doctors what they feel about the drug reps. In the beginning, the doctor does not like the reps. In the middle, the doctor has a neutral opinion. In the end, the doctor likes the drug rep. It provides an interesting contrast to Katherine Heigl's state of mind.

I think it does reflect what really happens in the drug companies. It exposes how marketing is disguised as 'education for the sake of prolonging life'. I recommend this film!

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer and Director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau draws from her 10 years of experience as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep and adds a touch of comedy and romance to make the point that there is a constant battle between Profit and Healthcare for the major drug companies. No real revelation there.

What is at least interesting is her approach to telling the story. Katherine Heigl (from TV's "Grey's Anatomy") is perky and sparkles as the Sales Rep torn between the big paydays and her own personal integrity. It is not difficult to understand how one could be seduced into turning a deaf ear to the negative and instead buying into the corporate propaganda. Thousands of dollars in bonus checks and upgrades in company cars are just some of the perks that go along with playing the game.

The issue I have is with the movie-making aspect of this film. It has the feel of a film project, not a quality independent film with an important message. The romantic comedy approach takes away from the expose' of the industry. All of the office politics could take place at Any Office, USA. Total frustration with one's job and company is commonplace in every single office building in the country. What makes the story different is the corporate level disregard for public safety in order to maximize profits. Not enough of the film dealt with this process.

Michael Moore's next project centers on the Pharmaceutical world and my guess is it will provide many more questions on the entire industry than "Side Effects" has. I will also venture a guess and say that Mr. Moore's soundtrack will be nowhere near as cool as the "Side Effects" soundtrack!