Title: Pathology
Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee Smith, Johnny Whitworth
Director: Marc Schoelermann
Producers: Gary Gilbert, Gary Lucchesi, Mark Neveldine, Tom Rosenberg,
Screenwriters: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Music: Johannes Kobilke
Editor: Todd E. Miller
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Suspense
Cinematography: Ekkehart Pollack
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
Topnotch medical student Ted Gray (Milo Ventimiglia) has just graduated from medical school and joins one of the most prestigious hospital-schools of Pathology as resident-intern. Equipped with natural wit and intelligence, Ted gets the attention of an elite group of interns. Afraid to be alienated, he makes friends with them and he is welcomed though reluctantly at first. Unknown to him, he has become a pawn in their dangerous, morbid, after-hours extracurricular activities at the morgue. He is then challenged and seduced to join their game of committing the perfect undetectable murder. Once trapped, Ted’s life and love will be jeopardized. Can he still quit the game before he or his loved ones become the next victim?
Pathology may be just another B movie at the onset but the tightness of the story and impeccable acting of the characters make the film pass off as a good crime-suspense-drama. The movie is able to take its audience to the world of pathology, a world least explored by many, without much blood and gore. Such approach allows the audience to imagine and look at the said field of medicine with objectivity. However, the storyline tends to be shallow and thin with the characters’ motivations left unjustified which are perhaps attributed to the plot’s lack of a back story. But then the film, technical wise, is quite able to meet its objective of putting a certain amount of suspense and mystery amidst the soap-operatic plot so it is still a good watch.
It is said in the movie that Pathology is a window to God for doctors see the perversion and corruption of the human flesh, although unnatural and violent, to determine the cause of death. However, when such window is abused by malicious minds, danger follows. The movie works around this premise but the visuals and plotlines leave the audience with disturbing views about the preservation of life. The morality play in the movie has posed more questions than answers. In a dog-eat-dog world, should one always conform to what is popular over what is good? The characters who have committed sin are all punished in the movie but apparently, there is no remorse from seen in them as they commit crimes of both ambition and passion. Thus, the film in its entirety is morally disturbing. There is violence, nudity, gore, desecration of human body, pre-marital sex, lesbianism, incest, drugs and alcohol. Although done in context and good taste, these can still offend sensibilities and may influence the minds of the very young. Such messages are appropriate only for a mature audience.
