Paper Mask

Dissatisfied as a lowly hospital porter, Matthew Harris (McGann) decides to step into the shoes of a recently deceased doctor in an attempt to up his social status, and bluffs his way into a job in a Bristol hospital. One disastrous night in casualty later, the administrators are on his case, and Harris is ready to give up. However, inspired by lust for lithesome nurse Christine (Donohoe), he decides to bash on, resulting in fatal blunder, grand illusions, and murderously misguided covert operations. Written with flair by ex-medic John Collee, this competent thriller-cum-melodrama is held together by Donohoe's endearingly edgy performance as the love-struck Christine. There are equally rewarding scenes set in the world of dinner parties and of boorish professional bonhomie. Where the screenplay falls down, however, is in its failure to establish Harris' ability to carry off such an audacious hoax, leaving the movie with a major credibility problem.