Inhale

source: Inhale

Every now and again a film comes along that you watch as a "matter of course" and get blown away by. This is such a film. I did not expect a great deal from the back of the DVD but figured it was worth a watch. The premise sounds corny but the cast really pull it out of the bag. I found myself immersed in the film which doesn't happen very often. The last time I was this engrossed was Schindlers List which I think says it all. Watch it soon!

In this new thriller from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur (The Sea), Santa Fe District Attorney Paul Chaney (Dermot Mulroney) and his wife Diane (Diane Kruger) has a daughter, Chloe, who is on a long list for a lung transplant due to a rare degenerative condition. As Chloe's health worsens, Paul becomes desperate for a donor and forgoes the usual channels to seek out a mysterious surgeon named Dr. Novarro in Juarez, Mexico, who may be able to help her. Things get complex when he finds that Dr. Novarro may have connections to a criminal underworld. The film starts off with a text on the screen about the increasing needs in the world for organ donors, similar in style of a documentary or a fact-based drama. We are soon introduced to Chloe, Paul and Diane's daughter with severe lung problems, establishing the motivations of the parents. While I first expected something more akin to a medical drama, majority of the film is actually closer to a thriller. It is a decent, if conventional, thriller. Majority of the film follows Paul (Dermot Mulroney) who goes off by himself to Mexico, searching for a "Dr. Novarro", a surgeon who apparently has access in finding a donor for his daughter. Paul, a white, upper-class gentleman with graying hair, sorely sticks out in this new and unfriendly environment. He is soon mugged by thugs and taken advantage of by street kids for snooping around in the wrong area. Many of the thugs are typically two-dimensional. Paul eventually makes some headway by enlisting help from one of the kids. I found it surprising that a District Attorney couldn't hire a language-friendly guide or bodyguards to get by in this type of environment, but I suppose that would make it less "edge-of-your-seat." Advertisement Dermor Mulroney is competent as Paul, who is constantly in the worst of places. Majority of the people he bumps into are unfriendly. Strange, extreme situations follow this character around--actually, it's more like he throws himself into these situations. Beyond that, his character is a fairly typical white collar character. Diane Kruger has a supporting role as Diane, Paul's wife. After Inglourious Basterds, Diane Kruger has become even more recognizable. She is underused here, and is away from most of the action, looking concerned in much of the film. Rosanna Arquette also has a small role as Dr. Rubin, which isn't developed. Most of the street characters in Mexico aren't developed beyond the obvious. The cinematography is well done. The film makes good use of its unfriendly, harsh environment with saturated colors and sharp contrasts, emphasizing the gritty, urban areas of Juarez, Mexico. The streets are filled with sharp greens, reds, and yellows. The thugs, the poor, and the children in the streets complete the whole mood. They are often more part of the environment than individuals. Many of them aren't too friendly. I'm curious how Mexicans would view this film. The hand-held camera shots, edits, and angles are all effectively done--the whole stylistic direction has a certain Tony Scott feel. As for the story, it's nothing too new, especially when it focuses on the events in Mexico. It works like a simple detective story--one clue leads to another. There are a good amount of violence and sexually explicit situations, many of which seem to exist purely for shock value than to further the theme or the plot. While the film regains its focus down the line, there are many things going on that seem sensational--shady politicians, conspiracies, and exploitation of the poor. Some parts were implausible, if well-intended, which took me away from the film. Overall, I did appreciate the theme of this film, which was driven home fairly effectively near the end. Still, I don't think the film's message was helped by all the clutter--clichés, shocks, and stylistic chases. You can also follow my movie reviews on twitter.com/d_art

I had a chance to watch this film in my free time and in all fairness it was a chance. When i read the instruction of film before watch it , i supposed it would be a mundane and happy-ending film but i were surprised. I also want to thank to scenarist of the film due to mention about the illegal organ transplantation system all over the world and how people are worthless in Mexico. It is worth to watch this film. I think point of the film should be higher soon. Enjoy it !

Kudos to sam shepard, dermot mulroney, diane kruger and rosana arquette for probably taking a massive pay cut to appear in such a low budget movie. Actors clearly do choose roles carefully. This is compelling viewing and great work by unknown director Baltasar Kormakur. A word of warning to any parents, this is harrowing stuff to anyone who has young kids but its a story that does need to be told. The director creates an intricate web of the Mexican underworld, clinics and police all involved in the illegal organ trade and at the end, the father has a "sophie's choice' decision to make, one that will surprise most movie watchers. They must have shot all of the Mexico scenes in the same 3 sets and its clear, money was tight here, this was barely distributed but this shouldn't detract from a compelling and thought provoking movie

I start it off saying this movie is great until the last couple of scenes. I go through the whole movie for nothing. The father had an easy choice to make and he made the wrong one. Sorry to spoil it for you but he went through all that plus his wasted all his money. I recommend you watch this movie till the operation scene then just turn off the movie and let your imagination come up with the ending of the father choosing the RIGHT ending. If you decide to watch the whole movie be prepared for a very bad ending. There was so much potential for the ending but it chose to be terrible in every way possible.

How far will you go to save your child's life? That is the question that Paul Stanton, a public defender (Dermot Mulroney), is faced with when his daughter, Chloe, is in dire need of a new set of lungs and it looks like she will die before she can get a transplant in America. Diane Kruger plays Diane Stanton, Paul's Wife and Chloe's mother who spends most of the movie looking worried for her daughter. The movie explores the dangerous, poverty stricken part of Mexico near the US border and the underworld of organ transplants bought on the black market. Paul Stanton finds out that a man he knows, James Harrison (Sam Shepard) had once needed a new heart, had mere months to live & despite never having received a transplant according to his medical records, was alive years later and now off the transplant list. After a confrontation, Harrison admits that he received a new heart from Mexico and was contacted by the mysterious Dr. Navaro, drove to the border, paid $100,000 & was drugged & awoke with a new heart. He doesn't know how to contact the Dr. which sets Stanton on his journey to Mexico to find the illusive Dr Navaro so he can secure an illegal transplant for his daughter, whose condition is worsening and is close to lung failure. The movie follows Stanton through Mexico as he is put in different dangerous situations in his pursuit to save his child. What is he willing to do to save her? Will he risk his own life? Risk the lives of others? Kill someone to make it happen? These are all questions answered through the movie as the audience watches Stanton do what he feels he needs to do in Mexico to get lungs for his daughter, Chloe. In the end, the lead character is faced with a true question about morality and what he is really willing to do to save her - He went to Mexico with the idea that he would do ANYTHING but when confronted with something so horrific, will he really make the right decision & really, what IS the right decision? The ending may seem unrealistic to some & realistic to others but no one really knows what decision he or she would make if put in a similar situation until he or she is actually in that situation. I give this movie a 7/10 - the acting is fantastic and the story is engaging and suspenseful enough to hold ones attention.

Spoilers coming up so reader beware. Okay the movie was engaging and really kept my attention until the last 15 Min's. Then this movie became something that we would all like to tell ourselves we would do if we were in the situation, save the child they were going to use as the donor for your own child. I'm going to be honest like I wish others would be, I would save my kid. The father Paul is shady the whole movie defending a convicted pedophile against one of the parents of his victim who shot him. I say way to go for that dad he was willing to do anything for his kid. That is how I thought our main character was evolving, taking to off from the case. Following every lead, going to Mexico, trying to do anything to save his daughter. I knew something bad was going to happen as soon as he said he need the organ in a day. I was guessing that it would be his side kick that they killed, but he acted like he had no clue anything illegal was going to happen. When everything he did in Mexico was illegal he thought finding an organ in a day would be by the book. Oh come on get real. I know it was wrong how they were getting the organ but to still pay the money to save a stranger and let your own baby die. I would have had to sell everything I own to afford this surgery and I would do it for my kid no questions asked but not a stranger. Maybe people with $250.000 cash sitting around can afford to be this generous, the type of shady lawyer he was I expect he found away to write it off in taxes. For the average person this would have been everything they had by begging, saving, borrowing gone and a funeral to pay for on top of it. After watching a movie like John Q with Denzel Washington, a father that was willing to sacrifice himself to get an organ for his son. I cry every time I watch that movie it shows me the kind of parent I hope I can be if I was in the same terrible situation. I Inhale is a movie I would not recommend or ever watch again. It is like old yellow, if you watch it turn it off when the prep the daughter for surgery and imagine a happy ending. I wish I had.

I'm not usually one to write a review for a film I have seen but then again there are very few films i have seen recently that have had much to shout about. Inhale however, needs to be seen! An absolute must for anyone looking to watch a film with depth. It provokes debate and raises ethical issues that any parent could be faced with. Certain films can be circumstantial with unrealistic story lines but i found myself watching this film thinking i would have done exactly what the lead character did. Furthermore, the subtle way in which the plot evolved and finally reached its climax kept me on the edge of my seat from the minute it started right through to the closing credits. I love to watch films but there are very few i can recollect without being prompted, Inhale however, has joined the ranks of some of my most memorable films of late. Its a such a shame it hasn't received the kudos it so deserves. A fantastic film that will be the topic of many water cooler moments for months to come!

Every day, rising Santa Fe District Attorney Paul Chaney (Dermot Mulroney) and his wife, Diane (Diane Kruger), wait for word that there's a donor for their daughter, Chloe. Diagnosed with a rare degeneration condition, Chloe is on a long list to receive a double lung transplant. As her health worsens, Paul becomes desperate to save his young child, so desperate that he'll risk everything to organize an operation. When Paul learns of a Dr. Novarro who performs illegal transplants in Juarez, Mexico, he heads south in a frantic search for the only man who may be able to save Chloe. But after arriving, he realizes Dr. Novarro's medical ring runs deeper into a criminal underworld than he realized and people are not who they seem to be. With his career, family and his daughter's life on the line, Paul finds himself at a critical crossroads, left to decide what is really "right" in this world. In my opinion, it's a great movie. I spent days thinking about it... It depicts truthful scenarios in Juarez. It's a wake up call. More efforts should be spent in Mexico, not only towards combating poverty and the extreme violence acts toward innocent men, women and children, caused especially by drug cartels, but human organs' black market. People are abducted and killed everyday for their organs. It's horrifying. It seems that amongst all the other problems, this huge issue's clouded. I'm not usually into violent movies, but this one's got violence in the exact right amount, mixed in with sufficient doses of suspense, thriller and drama. The movie works. It strikes. The sweet, tiny "Camaronzito" brought me to tears. I began imagining how many boys, just like him, have that awful destiny. Although there might not be much we can do, we can start by signing up as organ donors. Who knows who we might help, when the time comes.