Flatliners

Slowly, I've been making my way through Joel Schumacher's films. This is by no means an intentional quest, but one that usually becomes revived through interest in specific actors. For, Schumacher must have some sort of magnetic presence in real life, some quality that convinces great actors to star in his horrid little films. Schumacher's been on a decline commercially. FLATLINERS, upon its release in 1990, was the #1 movie at the box office, but his last two films were practically unreleased, yet 2011's TRESPASS still starred Nicole Kidman and Nicholas Cage. FLATLINERS features a cast of young actors who've reached much higher prominence now. Kiefer Sutherland heads the group of medical students as Nelson. Among his posse of students are Kevin Bacon as David, a reluctantly involved student, Oliver Platt as Randy, who inexplicably exists in the film for nothing happens to his character, William Baldwin as Joe, who records the women he sleeps with unbeknownst to them, and Julia Roberts as Rachel. Nelson comes up with the idea to delve into the science of death. He plans to, with these friends, stop their hearts and keep themselves effectively dead for one minute, then two minutes, then three, in order for them to experience death firsthand, and, presumably, unlock its secrets. This flimsy premise is supported, however, by a group of med students who are better at reviving the dead than anyone in the history of movies other than Jesus Christ. Further endangering an already weak plot is the add-on that each student who undergoes the experience, is revived with their sins haunting them. For David, its a black girl he bullied in grade school, for Joe, the women he's terrorized, and for Nelson, a boy he killed in an accident. What's odd here though, is the total disregard for cohesion. For, the acts of the men on those they've supposedly wronged, are all just as flimsy as the premise they support. David says it himself in the film, but its a quickly disregarded thought. What's at play here are notions exemplified to something that's supposed to resemble reality, or a good story. Beyond this, the film is oddly paced, proving to be very repetitive, and overwrought.

★★ out of Five