The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor (2011)

*** (out of 4)

Orlando Bloom plays Dr. Martin Blake, a man with a good job, a nice car, a fine apartment and he appears to have anything you'd want but he's actually quite lonely. He thinks he finds someone special in a young patient (Riley Keough) who is suffering from a kidney disease but soon the doctor's kindness turns to obsession. THE GOOD DOCTOR has gotten some fairly negative reviews but I think they were a bit unfair. Yes, if you're wanting a film that's going to explain everything to you then it's best to skip this one. In fact, we never really learn why Martin is so lonely, why he can't seem to connect with people and we really don't even get to know why he wants to be a doctor or why he becomes obsessed. This is one of those independent movies that wants to make the viewer do a lot of thinking and while it's not a complete success I still found the story compelling and the performances very good. Bloom was perfect in his role as the doctor and with the haircut and performance style I really couldn't help but think of Anthony Perkins in PSYCHO. The performance here certainly isn't legendary like that one but I found a lot of similarities between the characters. Bloom really does a great job at playing this lonely character and you believe it just by the sadness that his eyes carry. I always say that acting with your eyes can be the hardest thing to do yet Bloom gets so much across here. I also really liked Riley Keough in the role of the patient who forms this special bond with the doctor. The actors have some great chemistry together. Taraji P. Henson is excellent in her role as a nurse who doesn't get along with the doctor and we get nice support from Michael Pena and Rob Morrow. There are parts of the story that certainly don't work but I must admit that the film kept me on the edge of my seat because I was never quite certain where it was going to go or how everything was going to play out. I won't ruin the ending but I think it worked just fine but I'm sure everyone will take something different away from it.

Great cast: Michael Pena, Riley Keough and JK Simmons are the most well known faces, but the whole cast are very good.

Highlights: Taraji P. Henson as Nurse Theresa Rob Morrow as Dr. Waylans

Good concept: lessons to learn about risks, ethics and moral.

Bad execution: when you think the plot is going to get hot, nothing happens...

Feels like cast and crew got a feeling that the work wasn't that good...

During a Q &A after the film, a fan in the crowd asked if the ending left the movie open for a Good Doctor 2. "We only do trilogies around here," joked Orlando from the stage, to laughter.

Don't waste your time.

Not the usual doctors as heroes film, this one shows some dark sides. A lonely Brit resident is in his first year at an L A hospital. He's not really sure why he became a doctor other than to gain respect. His boss is a distracted lightweight and a senior doctor called in to consult is a fatuous windbag. A patient gets sick and the senior doctors are baffled, the patient gets worse but because all the normal tests are done it is all shrugged off. Then the relative ease doctors can get involved in the drug trade is depicted. The protagonist seems to get over it all and moves along with his career. Could've used some more tension and humour, although the dinner scene with the family from suburban hell was good for a laff.

The trailer to this movie made me think it was going to be something else entirely. I admit I was intrigued for the most part but also pretty anxious/uncomfortable due to his poor decisions throughout the whole movie. With an ending like that, I wouldn't say this is the worst movie, but not one that will be remembered either.

Once you read the plot summation or have viewed the trailer you may think they have shown their hand with this but what unfolds is a much larger picture as the viewer is introduced to DR. Martin Blake. He is new at the hospital having just begun his residency there. Lonely, he seems to be an outsider, never having the girl or the attention he wants most. Until he is introduced to a new patient he will be in charge of named Diane. He & the 18 year old Diane seem to quickly forge a bond, a bond that Martin is determined to keep, thus he meddles with her medication & test results, keeping her there with him at the hospital.

Don't let this fool you by any means, this is just the beginning for Martin, his downward spiral has just begun. I must say that Orlando Bloom did a superb job portraying Martin as a fragile loner desperate for more at any cost. Riley Keough, known for her previous role in The Runaways, also did a fine job as Diane. Overall this did a very good job of building suspense & keeping it going through to the end. My only complaint is that I would have liked it to go a bit further with the story, it seemed to wrap up too quickly & an extra fifteen minutes wouldn't have hurt. Still, it exceeded my expectations & recommend to anyone looking for a well acted solidly written suspenseful story. 8/10