"Pathology" suffers from a few problems, but gutsiness (literally and figuratively) is not one of them. This could have easily been a psycho-thriller (which in a way it is, I guess), but instead it went for the more difficult "turning the world upside down" route, and in that respect it succeeds. "Pathology" is indeed a nightmarish excursion into the dark side of medicine.
Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia) is a brilliant doctor starting his job as a pathologist (someone who performs autopsies, in case you didn't know) at a renowned hospital in D.C. His first few days don't go well. He's ostracized by his co-workers (except for Ben Stravinsky (Keir O'Donnell, who idolizes him like a newborn puppy). But his co-workers eventually warm up to him and draw him into their own deadly game of pulling off the perfect murder.
The worst offense that "Pathology" commits is having terrible cinematography. Maybe it's just one of those movies, but in scenes where it takes place in near darkness (which describes basically the whole movie), it's so dark that it's nearly impossible to see anything. Not only is it frustrating, it's constantly distracting.
The second problem is the lack of character development. Character takes second fiddle to atmosphere and story, which in many cases works. Not here. Character is what should sell this film, because it's not so much the atmosphere that is frightening, but what the characters say and do that is. Unfortunately, no one (except for perhaps Ventimiglia) achieves three-dimensionality. That's a shame, because there are a couple of potentially fascinating characters in this film. Michael Weston in particular is frightening, and his Dr. Gallo has the potential to be as frightening as another doctor that we all know (I am, of course, referring to Dr. Hannibal Lecter). But his character is not given room to breathe. Same goes for Ben Stravinsky, who is introduced, then save for a few token walk-ons, is completely forgotten until the end. The rest of the actors are solid (Lauren Lee Smith as the femme fatale who has more to her than meets the eye), or forgettable (everyone else).
I am not familiar with Milo Ventimiglia's work (his only work that I have seen is his appearance on "Law and Order: SVU"), but judging on that, I would have thought him miscast. Actually though, he does solid work here. It won't (and didn't) make him an instant sensation, but he has more range than one would think. I liked that he didn't make Grey into a saint, and allowed his character to become as twisted as everyone else. That's a dangerous path to take, for the audience might lose sympathy for the character. But Ventimigilia is sympathetic enough that the audience will root for him no matter what he does.
A strong stomach is required (the subject matter itself calls for it), and director Marc Schoelermann does not have any qualms about showing gore (and in copious quantities). Strangely though, the suspension of disbelief is not as big as one would think. Yes, all the doctors are extremely good looking in various ways (that sort of comes with the territory). But unlike most films the characters are smart because of what they do, not just because the movie tells us they are. Unless you're a doctor, the medical terminology may leave some viewers lost (this shouldn't be a detractor, it's really not that important as long as you understand the point of what they are saying, which isn't hard).
"Pathology" isn't as successful as it tries to be, but it takes a different road and for the most part is solid film-making. Why this was only in extremely limited theatrical release is beyond me. It's quality and star power (even though there isn't much) warranted a much wider release. This is not direct-to-DVD quality material, not by a long shot. I recommend it if you're in the mood for something a little different.
And haven't eaten recently.
Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia) is a brilliant doctor starting his job as a pathologist (someone who performs autopsies, in case you didn't know) at a renowned hospital in D.C. His first few days don't go well. He's ostracized by his co-workers (except for Ben Stravinsky (Keir O'Donnell, who idolizes him like a newborn puppy). But his co-workers eventually warm up to him and draw him into their own deadly game of pulling off the perfect murder.
The worst offense that "Pathology" commits is having terrible cinematography. Maybe it's just one of those movies, but in scenes where it takes place in near darkness (which describes basically the whole movie), it's so dark that it's nearly impossible to see anything. Not only is it frustrating, it's constantly distracting.
The second problem is the lack of character development. Character takes second fiddle to atmosphere and story, which in many cases works. Not here. Character is what should sell this film, because it's not so much the atmosphere that is frightening, but what the characters say and do that is. Unfortunately, no one (except for perhaps Ventimiglia) achieves three-dimensionality. That's a shame, because there are a couple of potentially fascinating characters in this film. Michael Weston in particular is frightening, and his Dr. Gallo has the potential to be as frightening as another doctor that we all know (I am, of course, referring to Dr. Hannibal Lecter). But his character is not given room to breathe. Same goes for Ben Stravinsky, who is introduced, then save for a few token walk-ons, is completely forgotten until the end. The rest of the actors are solid (Lauren Lee Smith as the femme fatale who has more to her than meets the eye), or forgettable (everyone else).
I am not familiar with Milo Ventimiglia's work (his only work that I have seen is his appearance on "Law and Order: SVU"), but judging on that, I would have thought him miscast. Actually though, he does solid work here. It won't (and didn't) make him an instant sensation, but he has more range than one would think. I liked that he didn't make Grey into a saint, and allowed his character to become as twisted as everyone else. That's a dangerous path to take, for the audience might lose sympathy for the character. But Ventimigilia is sympathetic enough that the audience will root for him no matter what he does.
A strong stomach is required (the subject matter itself calls for it), and director Marc Schoelermann does not have any qualms about showing gore (and in copious quantities). Strangely though, the suspension of disbelief is not as big as one would think. Yes, all the doctors are extremely good looking in various ways (that sort of comes with the territory). But unlike most films the characters are smart because of what they do, not just because the movie tells us they are. Unless you're a doctor, the medical terminology may leave some viewers lost (this shouldn't be a detractor, it's really not that important as long as you understand the point of what they are saying, which isn't hard).
"Pathology" isn't as successful as it tries to be, but it takes a different road and for the most part is solid film-making. Why this was only in extremely limited theatrical release is beyond me. It's quality and star power (even though there isn't much) warranted a much wider release. This is not direct-to-DVD quality material, not by a long shot. I recommend it if you're in the mood for something a little different.
And haven't eaten recently.