What Is the Story About?
Based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber, the film is about the infamous serial killer Charles Cullen and Amy, a compassionate nurse and single mother who risks her life to uncover the truth. Amy is struggling with a life-threatening heart condition and is stretched to her physical and emotional limits by demanding night shifts at the ICU. Charlie Cullen, a seemingly empathetic fellow nurse joins her at work. The two develop a friendship at work, but things take a drastic turn after a series of mysterious patient deaths points to Charlie as the prime suspect.
Performances?
Jessica Chastain and Eddi Redmayne play Amy and Charlie Cullen respectively. Both are individually really good at their parts. Jessica nails the ailing and hardworking single mother Amy, an everyday superhero nurse while Eddi fits well in Charlie’s shoes as an unsuspicious yet equally creepy serial killer. However, the friendship that strikes between the two doesn’t come across as organic or believable due to lack of onscreen chemistry between the two actors.
Analysis
The Good Nurse is based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name authored by Charles Graeber about serial killer Charles Cullen. It is directed by Tobias Lindholm and and written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns. The film opens to a dedicated Nurse Amy’s daily loaded routine at the ICU. She interacts with her terminally ill patients and their bystanders almost like a family. She returns back to her family of two girls. By now we know Amy is a single parent who is also suffering from a heart disease which she cannot disclose to her employer because of her lack of health Insurance. She runs shifts after shifts to take care of her girls who apparently are upset because of her unavailability at home.
Everything runs good and usual until Charlie, a new nurse joins Amy to assist her at night. He looks like a regular, average man you meet on streets and hence not suspicious at all. Its also a very clever move from the makers part to cast Eddi Redmayne as Charlie. He befriends Amy and her kids as soon as she discloses her medical history to him. For almost an hour, the writing takes its sweet time to establish Amy and Amy’s friendship with Charlie. Suspicions strike Amy much later when one of the patients unexpectedly die and the cops show up at her place with some of the records.
The proceedings pick up pace post the first hour with the cops and Amy working side by side to investigate what’s cooking up with Charlie. From the point of view of a Crime thriller movie, everything that could be revealed is already out in the open much before the third act. But from the perspective of a drama, the writing expands itself to give due justice to The Good Nurse Amy and her story.
The writing duly places Amy as the main protagonist of the story. A brave mother who exposed him at the risk her life and the safety of her children. Unlike regular true crime stories, the limelight isn’t placed on the criminal, but the one who confronted him.The opening scene of the film gets a beautiful turnaround with the ending scene as well.
The Good Nurse succeeds as a good crime drama, but falters as a crime thriller. Besides exploring Amy’s life and her point of view, the writing does little to explore the psyche of the serial killer. The writing takes no effort to explore his modus operandi either. Add to it, the actors lack chemistry and their friendship doesn’t click enough to aid the narrative. Even if the writing had no motive to place its focus entirely on the killer, it could have atleast knit itself tight without overdrawing for around 2 hours. As the third act approaches, one could easily loose all the interest in the story that is running out of steam because of its stunted dialogues.
Other Artists?
Besides the main leads, it is Noah Emmerich who gives a stand out performance as Detective Tim Braun in the film. Nnamdi Asomugha is adequate as Detective Danny Baldwin. The rest of the actors don’t have enough to do in the film.
Music and Other Departments?
Biosphere’s music is atmospheric and moody but nothing exceptional. Jody Lee Lipes’s cinematography is quite adequate considering the film’s nature. Krysty Wilson Cairns screenplay is sluggish and disinteresting after a point unlike her work in 1917. It is indeed the screenplay and the dialogues that let the film down.
Highlights?
• Lead Performances
• Interesting True Crime Core Story
• First and Second Acts
Drawbacks?
• Sluggish Screenplay
• Overdrawn Climax
• Unexplored Psyche Of Killer
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
The Good Nurse Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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