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| Sidse Babett Knudsen stars in 150 Milligrams |
How Many Dead?
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: In her hospital in Brest, a pulmonologist (Sidse Babett Knudsen) discovered a direct link between suspicious deaths and taking a drug marketed for 30 years, the Mediator. The isolation of the media explosion debut of the case, the story inspired by the life of Irène Frachon is a battle of David against Goliath to finally see the truth triumph. Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot.
Knudsen's Frachon declares, "I'm a doctor, not a cheerleader." Unfortunately, the first hour and a half of 150 Milligrams showcases (a lot more of) the latter. Frachon's one-woman crusade is noble, but downright annoying (at least to me.) She's all smiles and fist pumps, which overshadows an otherwise engrossing tale about a pharmaceutical firm trying to (literally) get away with murder. To her credit, Irène doesn't budge, navigating the murky waters of medical politics with unrivaled drive/purpose. Knudsen's performance is as dynamic and powerful, as it is irksome, but 128 minutes is a long time to sit through it.
Grade: C+
