Not even bad in a good way

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Dr. Werner Ernst (James Spader) is a resident working in the newest IC unit with nurse Stella (Helen Mirren). He's a skirt chaser and Felicia Potter (Kyra Sedgwick) catches his eye. She's visiting her sick father. She disagrees with her half-sister Connie Potter (Margo Martindale) who wants to keep him alive at all costs. Dr. Butz (Albert Brooks) is Ernst's grumpy absent-minded supervisor. A suffering patient (Jeffrey Wright) wants to die and a demonic doctor (Wallace Shawn) keeps appearing to him.This is a later work from director Sidney Lumet. There is an artificiality to the look probably due to the overwhelming white background. It drains the life out of the story. It feels more like a play in its unreality. I don't know how to take the artificial satire. Even Sedgwick's performance is super artificial which may be due to the character. Nothing feels real. It's not funny at all. It's not that poignant. It's not eye opening. The cast is amazing and Lumet must be a big part of the appeal for them. I want to like this more than I actually do.

Sidney Lumet shows why he is a unique voice in the American cinema with his take on the state of medicine in this country. Mr. Lumet, working on the screen play by Steven Schwartz, based on Richard Dooling's excellent book, presents us a story about what's wrong with our health care system. His acerbic take on the way some physicians conduct themselves goes underneath the surface as he explores what happens when there's a complication as a young doctor is drawn into a family drama that involves the hospital where he is an intern.If you haven't seen the film, maybe you would like to stop reading.We are taken to an new intensive care unit of a big hospital. Everything is so impersonal that one doesn't get any feeling of warmth in the way the people are seen in their beds, as they are being treated from different ailments. Young doctor Ernst is an intern assigned to that area. He shows signs of fatigue because of his long hours on duty.Our attention is directed to the patient on Bed 5, an older man who is comatose. His younger daughter, dressed to the nines, comes to pay a visit that seems more of an excuse to flirt with the doctor, rather than her concern about the state of her own father who doesn't show any signs of life. Dr. Ernst is dazzled by the beautiful Felicia. When he asks her to go to dinner, she accepts all too readily.At the same time we are introduced to the head nurse of that area, Stella, a woman who has seen suffering and death frequently. She goes to assist Bed 2, a young black man who has a kidney problem. All this patient wants is to die. Who can blame him? His parents, on the other hand, have a different idea. This man is visited by a sinister figure who stands, as a devil figure. Stella wants to help, but she her hands are tied.Young Dr. Ernst has his own troubles. He works for a doctor that keeps paging him, but when he goes to his office, the man, doesn't even remember calling him. This man is suffering from a loss of memory caused by his heavy drinking. Dr. Butz is the worst nightmare as the head of the department. All he cares is about if the patient has an insurance policy that will pay whatever he, and the hospital will demand. Bed 5, alone, has been billed for more than a hundred thousand dollars!Dr. Werner Ernst in a moment of carelessness falls for Felicia's charms. Little does he knows that she is using him for her own greedy purposes. Felicia, and her sister Connie, are battling because of the clause in their Bed 5 father's will. A lot of money is at stake; each woman is fighting for it in their own dirty way. Dr. Ernst has an epiphany when the nun-like figure comes into Bed 5's room and confronts the doctor with some facts that resonate in the young doctor.Finally, everything comes to a head as the two sisters bring law suits against the hospital. This is when the legal system comes into play. We see the ugly faces of all the different factions. In a great confrontation at the end of the film, we see all different lawyers and doctors as they prepare to fight. Dr. Ernst, in a daring moment gets the warring parties together.James Spader, as Dr. Ernst, is nothing short of perfection. His take on this young intern, in the middle of the mess that has been created around him, is amazing. Helen Mirren, as Stella, the kind nurse makes another invaluable contribution to the film. Kyra Sedgwick, is Felicia, the pretty young daughter who doesn't care about the dying father. Margot Martindale plays Connie, the other sister. Jeffrey Wright is the patient Bed 2 in a great performance. The surprise of the film though, is Albert Brooks, whose Dr. Butz is one of the best characters of his career. The rest of the cast is first rate.Sidney Lumet is to the congratulated for tackling this thorny issue about what's wrong in the country in the fields of medicine, law, and insurance.

Well I liked this a lot. I have only seen THE NETWORK so far from the same director and I am more willing now than before to check more. Thought provoking as few films can be & having a context dealing with many interesting, philosophical topics, this will probably appeal to the majority of serious film fans. Located in a hospital, it comments on euthanasia, doctor's and medical personnel everyday life, medical care VS. money but then again, much much more.Not long before the end, and after some smart religion-centered dialogs, I was a bit disappointed by the "religious" overtone given mostly the "nun"-character, but in the next scenes the film delivers again...Highly recommended, but it can be a bit depressing at times for the very sensitive ones.

Sidney Lumet has made some wonderful, memorable, and important films. 12 Angry Men, Fail-Safe, Serpico, Network, and The Verdict among them--the list is long, and impressive.Unfortunately, his recent list is less than impressive: Night Falls on Manhattan and Gloria starring Sharon Stone immediately come to mind. Critical Care sits right there, underneath them.Talented actors like Philip Bosco, Edward Herrmann, and Helen Mirren can't save this confused Woody Allen meets 1984 attempt at…to tell you the truth I don't know what they were attempting.Yuck.