Director: Barbet Schroeder
Cast: Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Marcia Gay Harden, Brian Cox.
Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton) is condemned to a life in hell. Hated by everyone, shunned from the general public, McCabe happens to be a very bright prodigy. With an IQ surpassing 150, McCabe can be declared a genius. Too bad his insanity is not very subdued... Charged with the murder of numerous prison guards, inmates, and prisoners themselves, McCabe has been sentenced to death by lethal means. Why does McCabe behave this way? No one knows; no one can understand why such a bright mind would commit such flagrant deeds.
Enter Detective Frank Connor (Andy Garcia), a loving father who rushes to find a cure for his son's illness before time runs out. Connor's life intertwines with McCabe's, and the two form an unconventional bonding which is too sacrilegious in words alone. The cop has learned that McCabe, a mass murderer on death row without parole holds the only probable cure for his son's ailment. McCabe happens to be the perfect blood marrow donor who holds the same rare genetic material essential to Connor's son's ensured survival. For Connor's son is an artistic boy...suffering from a fatal case of leukemia. McCabe is the only one who can actually prevent an early, premature death for Matt, Connor's biological kin.
Will McCabe cooperate with both Connor and the authorities...or does he have other tricks up in his sleeves? The psychopathic inmate knew how to talk himself out of danger before, but this time...he cannot respond with "no" for an answer for no is not acceptable to the offer Connor is making...
Desperate Measures had a pertinent premise with some potential. The potential though, has never been achieved thanks to so many clichés and impossibilities this film must retain. The performances though, were quite exceptional and outstanding. Michael "I'M BATMAN!!!" Keaton ( Jack Frost ) is typically ingenious as a sociopath in this indefatigable thriller which unfortunately is a misstep in movie making. Keaton adds a touch of class and style to each character he portrays, and this maniacal killer is no exception. Keaton displays a rational, cunning, and devious villain in Desperate Measures . He creates a realistic antagonist who is so vile that the audience themselves can see him in true disgust as a person with a twisted mind rather than a cartoon-like "super-villian." Keaton is convincing, no doubt, and he makes his role so menacing, it is almost unbelievable!
Another fine feature of this film is the relationship between the "desperate" detective and the affectionate love he shows towards his dying son, telling him that hope never fades. The scenes shown between the father and son make this movie more heartwarming than the usual thriller. Desperate Measures is a film which shows how much value a son absolutely means to his father. This movie evokes a meaningful pact between paternal and juvenile souls.
Desperate Measures though is a lurid thriller lacking insight into the criminal's mind. Never once throughout this whole movie, does the audience dig trenchantly into the thoughts of a deranged murderer. No one can understand what makes McCabe tick and why. People fail to comprehend the nature of McCabe's unscrupulous behavior, and after the while, they no longer care if the filmmakers have not bothered to give a glimpse of McCabe's background or the origins which construct his sick personality. For these reasons alone, Desperate Measures fails as a psychological thriller. To add to the setbacks in Desperate Measures the stunts, chases and explosions throughout the film seemed rather inappropriate, out of place, and completely irrelevant to the film's plot.
Desperate Measures is a hollow, cold-blooded thriller that remains pedestrian compared with so many other precursors this film has borrowed from. The idea for this flick is good, the actors show conviction in the characters they portray, but overall, the film itself falls short of its promising concept. The lack of a strong character development fails to materialize Desperate Measures as an above average thriller. With this fault, Desperate Measures just seems too unbelievable to be scary, disturbing, or taken seriously. One also has to question how the main protagonist manages to get away with so many crimes...
RATING: ** out of ****.