Side Effects

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer and Director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau draws from her 10 years of experience as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep and adds a touch of comedy and romance to make the point that there is a constant battle between Profit and Healthcare for the major drug companies. No real revelation there.

What is at least interesting is her approach to telling the story. Katherine Heigl (from TV's "Grey's Anatomy") is perky and sparkles as the Sales Rep torn between the big paydays and her own personal integrity. It is not difficult to understand how one could be seduced into turning a deaf ear to the negative and instead buying into the corporate propaganda. Thousands of dollars in bonus checks and upgrades in company cars are just some of the perks that go along with playing the game.

The issue I have is with the movie-making aspect of this film. It has the feel of a film project, not a quality independent film with an important message. The romantic comedy approach takes away from the expose' of the industry. All of the office politics could take place at Any Office, USA. Total frustration with one's job and company is commonplace in every single office building in the country. What makes the story different is the corporate level disregard for public safety in order to maximize profits. Not enough of the film dealt with this process.

Michael Moore's next project centers on the Pharmaceutical world and my guess is it will provide many more questions on the entire industry than "Side Effects" has. I will also venture a guess and say that Mr. Moore's soundtrack will be nowhere near as cool as the "Side Effects" soundtrack!