Director: Marc Schoelermann
I've never been a big fan of thrillers. After watching one, despite all the vicarious thrills it provides 's the illusion of danger in the safety and comfort of a movie theater 's most of us think, "Yeah, that was one good film," and promptly forget about it. "Pathology" is no exception.
I've seen violence that stems from fear, foolishness and desperation. But I've never seen violence done for pleasure, pure and simple, as it is described in this film.
Dr. Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia) is a talented pathology student at one of the nation's top universities. He is happily engaged, seemingly normal, just like any other young man on the street.
The other pathologists don't like him at first 's which doesn't bother him much 's but one night, some of them invite him to a bar, where they play Truth or Dare. The question: Who would you kill if you would never be caught? The answer: Anyone.
The next night, Ted and fellow student Jake Gallo (Michael Weston) go out on the town. Drunk, they end up at a brothel. The keeper wants 150 dollars; Jake will only pay 80. When the brothel keeper is found dead the next day, Jake asks Ted to guess the cause of death.
The game begins. The point is to commit the perfect murder and stump the others on the cause of death. Each pathologist takes a turn, and they all try to guess what killed the victim. In the meantime they're enjoying a completely uninhibited lifestyle, with sex, drugs and confusing relationships where nothing is quite what it seems. Juliette (Lauren Lee Smith), Jake's girlfriend, is also sleeping with Ted, who is happily engaged to Gwen (Alyssa Milano), who is living in another city.
I am assuming that this movie is not popular in the medical community. I always thought that people become doctors because they want to help people, not do them in. But why not. Some people become doctors for the kudos of the profession and I guess we are all sick of films and TV shows where the doctors are the heroes.
The film was written by the same team that brought us the ingenious thriller "Crank" a couple of years ago and you can see their influence in every frame.
This is a debut feature by its German film director and it's not bad for a new-comer. Schoelermann made his bones shooting commercials and it shows in the way the film is shot and lit. For a thiller the film is not all that well… thrilling. And I am someone who scares easily.
I should warn you there are some graphically violent scenes in the movie which I found excessive and didn't contribute in any way to the movie.
The characters are so brilliantly depraved, so simple in their need for challenge and action, that they seemed almost beautiful. The games they played with each other, all the violence and the messed-up relationships, made the whole affair seem glamorous, blurring the line between the monster and the hero.
But in reality the only beautiful thing in the film was Ted and Gwen's relationship, which is pure and simple at first. Things get complicated fast, of course, and the game spirals out of control. The plot is interesting, though a little predictable 's it will make you think while you're watching it, but you'll have forgotten it in a week.
"Pathology" is exciting and thought-provoking, but less than brilliant.
Now showing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
