Medicine Man

source: Medicine Man

This is one of my favourite's movies. It has one of the best ever actors, Sean Cornery, and the most beautiful landscapes ever. This is the story of a way of living in our World, and how the civilization can destroy this kind of heaven in one instant. I invite everybody to see this movie.

All I could think about while watching this hot mess was the review I was going to write about it. In no particular order, you've got: Lorraine Bracco running around the Amazon in mom jeans, screaming like a banshee (of course she and Sean Connery scream at each other from the first time they meet; that's how we know they will fall in love and get married at the end of the movie); Sean Connery is is eccentric--how do we know? He's got a ponytail. Cool! Weird lively Caribbean music playing in the background, to illustrate the movie is taking place in the Amazon rain forest, I guess. Well, heck, if there's a story beyond that it was lost on me. For every time a woman in a movie screams, "Whoa. . .whoa! Whoa!!!", I knock a star off. If that's the best dialogue the writers can come up with, I don't hold out a lot of hope that the movie is going to improve along the way.

This movie is definitely on my list of the top ten - all time! I obviously enjoyed it enough to comment, 15 years later. I looked it up just out of curiosity because it is one of my favorites. I can't believe that it didn't get better ratings or awards. Lorraine Bracco and Sean Connery both did a phenomenal job and no matter how many times I watch this movie, I find it to be extremely touching and entertaining. I cannot believe Bracco was nominated by RAZZIE for the worst actress. Who are these people? Anyway, BRAVO Bracco & Connery! The world needs more movies such as these, instead of the blood and gore, violence etc. we see each day now!

A fine movie, not to be judged on the basis of Hollywood's usual recipe for storytelling. The eccentric scientist Robert Campbell (Connery) who has found a cure for cancer out in the jungle, is not able to reproduce its exact composition. Biologist Rae Crane (Bracco) biologist has dropped in from academia to be his judge and jury and decide on Campbell's continued funding. The film pays a fair amount of attention to scientific detail (such as "running baselines" and using "experimental controls") interspersing it throughout with lively and shrewd exchanges between Campbell and Crane. To that they add mildly sarcastic observations on field work and fund-raising committees. Whilst this scientific sub-story line runs along, we are shown glimpses of life in a sympathetic tribe for which Campbell has become a sort of sugar daddy. Ethics and personal choice confront both scientists as they struggle with the decision to reserve the last bit of serum either for the good of humanity or the life of one of the tribe's children. McTiernan has weaved all these elements excellently and Connery and Bracco play their roles so convincingly that you could be excused for thinking they may have scientific backgrounds in real life. The film is a feast for educated people - which is probably the reason why many of the critics have missed the fine points and proceeded to rattle off some vitriolic commentary more aimed, in my view, at self-aggrandizement than constructive film criticism. One even complained that Medicine Man didn't quite match up to Die Hard. Now there is a proper comparison for you.

In this day and age of too much reality, this movie shows reality on a grand scale. Toned down with a romantic story. Connery and Bracco are a matched team working in harness, plus the fact of the disappearing rain forests, allows this movie to work for me. I have seen it 9 times in the past 13 years and each time it is a pleasure to watch. Goldsmith's score is the icing on the cake. This is a believable plot. But then I was raised up on movies since 1935 and I wish there were more movies like this. The scene in the trees is like a ballet. There is a real story here and I personally like the whole mix.

I've never understood why this movie is so poorly received. Sure, Lorraine Bracco is a bit shrill. No one said she came from a "high class" family, just that she was marrying well. My sister-in-law is a scientist with NIH and she came from humble roots. That Bracco got through to the tribe's medicine man when Connery had failed was the contrast between the two approaches the "white man" could make toward the natives. Bracco's negotiating skills and stubborn common sense contrasted nicely with Connery's unintentionally patronizing approach. Who COULD have been cast who would have been more convincing as the "civilized" woman "going native". Lauren Hutton, maybe. The solution to the mystery of "compound 37" was a genuine surprise, even though it was partially revealed on two separate occasions. The climax was intensely dramatic, ironic and sad; though, it too helped usher in the satisfying conclusion. Jerry Goldsmith's superb score raises what is already an outstanding movie. I don't care about anyone else's opinion. For me, "Medicine Man" is a "10".

This ecological drama deals about Dr Robert Campbell(Sean Connery), he's a biochemist working in the Amazon rain forest on a cancer cure. There arrives a scientific, Dr Crane(Lorraine Bracco), a researcher sent by the laboratory sponsoring. Campbell has found a cure but he has been unable to duplicate it . Then they seek desperately the missed flower about being eradicated by civilization. Meanwhile, a Bulldozers sweeping the jungle and time is running out. The movie contains ecological adventure, an enjoyable relationship and breathtaking outdoors. In spite of Dr Campbell is grumpy and Dr Crane is obstinate, arise an agreeable chemical between them. The film is quite entertaining with some moments a little boring, but that doesn't detract for your amusement of a well-developed tale where drama, love and adventures mingle splendidly. Colorful cinematography reflecting marvellously the Amazon rain forest by Donald McAlpine. Sensible,sensitive musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith, wonderfully appropriate when the protagonists climbed up to the top of the tallest trees in the Brazilian jungle. The picture is lavishly produced by Andrew G Vagna with his Carolco company and by Sean Connery. The motion picture is well directed by John McTiernan. He's an action expert director with hits, such as ¨Predator, Die Hard and sequels¨, and some flop, such as ¨Nomads and Thomas Crown¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable, the film will like to Sean Connery fans and ecology buffs.

How does Medicine Man get the electricity to operate his sensitive scientific equipment in the middle of the rain forest? Why did he ignore the Scientific Method and not create a baseline? What elite, highly-educated field researcher, headed for the Amazon, would pack pajamas? How is it that an elite, educated field researcher and environmentalist, knowingly headed for the Amazon, would be annoyed by the inconveniences (bugs, rain) and afraid of snakes? Reference is made to "the syringe". Is there only one, which is re-used? Where did they get the hundreds of feet of rope, pulleys and harnesses - and later a hammock and cooking equipment - when each of them was carrying only one small backpack? Would there not be traces of the serum left in both the vial and syringe; i.e., the serum was not used up? How is it that a RAIN FOREST is so flammable?

We loved this movie when it came out, have seen it many times over the years, and re-watched it again yesterday over 22 years later. It still holds up as a really good film. Sean brings all his wit, charm, and pragmatism honed over his career, while Lorraine has her NY attitude and the right moxie for the role she is playing. While Sean can correctly portray any job, Lorraine's acting was really spot on to convey both the academic and cultural differences of her role. The actual scenes among the trees and canopies were some of the best photography work in a jungle, predating and helping build interest in the huge fad of zip lines that have since flourished. The story itself is about discovery and redemption, differences in cultures, and how they interact. The soundtrack was really unique for its time, easily identified for the South American influences, and is still one of the best to listen to independent of the movie.