Medicine Man - Le sorcier de l'océan vert

This ecological drama deals about Dr Robert Campbell(Sean Connery), he's a biochemist working in the Amazon rain forest on a cancer cure. There arrives a scientific, Dr Crane(Lorraine Bracco), a researcher sent by the laboratory sponsoring. Campbell has found a cure but he has been unable to duplicate it . Then they seek desperately the missed flower about being eradicated by civilization. Meanwhile, a Bulldozers sweeping the jungle and time is running out.

The movie contains ecological adventure, an enjoyable relationship and breathtaking outdoors. In spite of Dr Campbell is grumpy and Dr Crane is obstinate, arise an agreeable chemical between them. The film is quite entertaining with some moments a little boring, but that doesn't detract for your amusement of a well-developed tale where drama, love and adventures mingle splendidly. Colorful cinematography reflecting marvellously the Amazon rain forest by Donald McAlpine. Sensible,sensitive musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith, wonderfully appropriate when the protagonists climbed up to the top of the tallest trees in the Brazilian jungle. The picture is lavishly produced by Andrew G Vagna with his Carolco company and by Sean Connery. The motion picture is well directed by John McTiernan. He's an action expert director with hits, such as ¨Predator, Die Hard and sequels¨, and some flop, such as ¨Nomads and Thomas Crown¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable, the film will like to Sean Connery fans and ecology buffs.

I've never understood why this movie is so poorly received. Sure, Lorraine Bracco is a bit shrill. No one said she came from a "high class" family, just that she was marrying well. My sister-in-law is a scientist with NIH and she came from humble roots. That Bracco got through to the tribe's medicine man when Connery had failed was the contrast between the two approaches the "white man" could make toward the natives. Bracco's negotiating skills and stubborn common sense contrasted nicely with Connery's unintentionally patronizing approach. Who COULD have been cast who would have been more convincing as the "civilized" woman "going native". Lauren Hutton, maybe. The solution to the mystery of "compound 37" was a genuine surprise, even though it was partially revealed on two separate occasions. The climax was intensely dramatic, ironic and sad; though, it too helped usher in the satisfying conclusion. Jerry Goldsmith's superb score raises what is already an outstanding movie. I don't care about anyone else's opinion. For me, "Medicine Man" is a "10".

A fine movie, not to be judged on the basis of Hollywood's usual recipe for storytelling. The eccentric scientist Robert Campbell (Connery) who has found a cure for cancer out in the jungle, is not able to reproduce its exact composition. Biologist Rae Crane (Bracco) biologist has dropped in from academia to be his judge and jury and decide on Campbell's continued funding.

The film pays a fair amount of attention to scientific detail (such as "running baselines" and using "experimental controls") interspersing it throughout with lively and shrewd exchanges between Campbell and Crane. To that they add mildly sarcastic observations on field work and fund-raising committees. Whilst this scientific sub-story line runs along, we are shown glimpses of life in a sympathetic tribe for which Campbell has become a sort of sugar daddy. Ethics and personal choice confront both scientists as they struggle with the decision to reserve the last bit of serum either for the good of humanity or the life of one of the tribe's children.

McTiernan has weaved all these elements excellently and Connery and Bracco play their roles so convincingly that you could be excused for thinking they may have scientific backgrounds in real life.

The film is a feast for educated people - which is probably the reason why many of the critics have missed the fine points and proceeded to rattle off some vitriolic commentary more aimed, in my view, at self-aggrandizement than constructive film criticism. One even complained that Medicine Man didn't quite match up to Die Hard. Now there is a proper comparison for you.

In this day and age of too much reality, this movie shows reality on a grand scale. Toned down with a romantic story. Connery and Bracco are a matched team working in harness, plus the fact of the disappearing rain forests, allows this movie to work for me. I have seen it 9 times in the past 13 years and each time it is a pleasure to watch. Goldsmith's score is the icing on the cake. This is a believable plot. But then I was raised up on movies since 1935 and I wish there were more movies like this.

The scene in the trees is like a ballet. There is a real story here and I personally like the whole mix.

Eccentric scientist Dr. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery) asks for an assistant and a gas chromatograph after 3 years of silence in the Amazon jungle. The drug company sends Dr. Rae Crane (Lorraine Bracco) who is out of her elements. She finds Campbell completely immersed with the natives. She's actually there to judge his progress and whether or not to cut off funding. He believes that he has found a cure for cancer. Only he can't reproduce it and the bulldozers are coming.

I think people missed the fact that this is very much a formulaic rom-com. The serious matter of cancer cure and Amazon destruction masks that fact from almost everybody. The formula is simple. They hate each other and then they fall in love. I actually find Lorraine Bracco hilariously adorable but I guess most people found her annoying. Not everybody likes a woman who talks back. Jerry Goldsmith's music is memorable as always. This is a fun rom-com if one lets it be. And climbing among the trees is visually stunning.