Movie Type: Psychological Thriller, Crime Thriller
Themes: Down on Their Luck, Doctors and Patients, Mind Games
Main Cast: David Duchovny, Timothy Hutton, Angelina Jolie, Michael Massee, Peter Stormare
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 94 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
After losing his license to work as a surgeon, synthetic-heroin addict Eugene Sands (David Duchovny) is on a downward spiral into the Los Angeles drug scene. One night, someone is shot in a bar, and Sands performs a life-saving medical maneuver on the spot. Word travels fast. A few days later, a limo drops him off at the Malibu den of counterfeiter-smuggler Raymond Blossom (Timothy Hutton) and his cupid-lipped moll Claire (Angelina Jolie). The bleach-haired Blossom needs someone to stitch up his hemorrhaging henchmen so they won't wind up answering questions at a hospital. He sees Sands as the ideal man to stop the flow of information and blood. It's a deal with the devil, but Sands accepts. Meanwhile, Claire has her eye on Sands, and FBI agent Gage (Michael Massee) has plans to bring down Blossom. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Troy Sizemore - Art Director, Johanna Ray - Casting, Elaine Huzzar - Casting, Nancy Rae Stone - Co-producer, Melanie Greene - Co-producer, Mary Zophres - Costume Designer, Francis R. Mahoney III - First Assistant Director, Andy Wilson - Director, B.J. Davis - Second Unit Director, Louise Rubacky - Editor, Armyan Bernstein - Executive Producer, Thomas A. Bliss - Executive Producer, Richard Hartley - Composer (Music Score), The Angel - Songwriter, Angie Hart - Songwriter, Naomi Shohan - Production Designer, Anthony Richmond - Cinematographer, Marc Abraham - Producer, Laura Bickford - Producer, Mark Weingarten - Sound/Sound Designer, B.J. Davis - Stunts Coordinator, Mark Haskell Smith - Screenwriter
Duchovny plays Eugene Sands, a surgeon who has his medical license revoked when he operates under the influence of amphetamines and opiates. Hutton's character, a crime lord named Raymond Blossom, happens upon him in a bar where he saves someone's life with an emergency procedure to inflate a collapsed lung. Blossom hires Sands as his personal physician, patching up his accomplices when they cannot go to a hospital, and tending to the crime boss and his girlfriend, Claire (Jolie). In the final act of the film, Claire and Sands become involved, and he must face up to conflicting loyalties to Blossom, Claire, and the FBI agent who has blackmailed him into being an informant.
The film was finished in 1995 but not released until 1997 due to initial negative reactions from test audiences. The film's trailer contained a brief glimpse of a sex scene between Duchovny and Jolie. The actress later confirmed that she had filmed two sex scenes for the movie, but that both of them were edited out of the final cut.
Reception
The film and did not fare well financially or with critics, scoring just 19% at the review site Rotten Tomatoes[1] and making only $4,166,918 at the US theater box office[2]. Popular film critic Roger Ebert however, gave the film three stars saying "This may not be a great movie, but for both Duchovny and Hutton, it's a turning point", citing Duchovny's ability to "stand above the action" like Clint Eastwood; and Hutton's ability to create a real character as the villain, instead of merely filling a space [3].
Music
The song "Spybreak!" by Propellerheads was used in this film 2 years before it's Stardom debut as Main Song of the cult movie "The Matrix" (1999).
