Decisões Extremas

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.

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.

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.

Just watched this true life drama starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser at the theatre with my friend who works there. Not the kind we normally go to see but since this film had only one afternoon showing time for the days of this week, we felt it was worth a look. The leads were pretty good for the characters they played and provided enough drama to make their admiration for each other clear despite some disagreements. The two handicapped kids of Fraser's character provided both humor and some genuine touching moments that didn't go overboard. Also fine was Keri Russell as Brandan's wife and Courtney B. Vance as another parent with similarly diseased kids who tells his family's story to a captive audience. My favorite scenes are those involving Ford's doctor character constantly playing classic rock songs in his lab to the consternation of everyone else there. Extraordinary Measures is perhaps not a great drama, but it provides enough moments that make this worthy entertainment.

"Extraordinary Measures" is one of those "feel-good", "inspirational" films which is actually feel-good and inspirational but in a very generic kind-of-way.

Brendan Fraser awkwardly stars as a businessman who desperately hopes that "they" will find a cure for Pompe disease, which two of his children are dying from. As you would expect, he stays up late researching trying to find the latest advances. This teams him up with Harrison Ford, an unpersonable scientist, who also provides the few comic relief moments.

Based on a true story, but in such a way that although the overall story may come from real life, all the events shown are surely fictional. It's dramatic when we need it to be and things work out when we need them to - way too formulaic and tidy for real life. They tell us some of the science behind the cure, which is of course nonsense, but it's supposed to get the audience more invested in what's happening; however, it's just a reminder that this is Hollywood not real life.

Let me go back to the beginning, "Extraordinary Measures" is feel-good and inspirational, and if you like those types of movies, this one plays out exactly as it's supposed to. You'll get swept up into the story and cry when you're supposed to. Everything is right on cue.