Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageJohn Q (2002)
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Washington rubbed off his customary sheen of integrity in Training Day, and picked up an Oscar. In this misbegotten blend of populist rabble-rouser and medical tearjerker, he plays blue collar hero John Quincy Archibald. True, John Q - a desperate industrial worker on shortened hours who takes over a hospital ER at gunpoint to secure his sick kid a heart transplant - is the best thing in the film, a beacon of acting sincerity in a sea of thespian bemusement. However, enveloping a significant political issue like healthcare provision in the US in such a psychologically crude, Dog Day Afternoon-style siege drama gives the film an unsavoury exploitative dimension. It also leaves Washington with a credibility problem, not helped by director Nick Cassavetes' standard over-emphasis, guilelessness and poor timing.Author: WH
Cast & crew
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Producer: Mark Burg, Oren Koules
Cast: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Eddie Griffin, Kimberly Elise, Shawn Hatosy, Ray Liotta, David Thornton, Ethan Suplee full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 116 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Jackson's This Is It: review
Kenny Ortega's posthumous concert film is a rousing eulogy for one of pop's great enigmas
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Lone Scherfig talks 'An Education'
Danish director Lone Scherfig was an unlikely choice for a very English affair like 'An Education'. Cath Clarke meets her
How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life
Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now