Dee Mou
While I honestly love most of Heigl's work, this film was very drawn out and doesn't allow her to shine with the usual energy she has in other films. Disappointingly, her character in this movie reminded me of her character in Gilmore Girls... very awkward and with little personality. Perhaps it was the topic of scamming and deception in the pharmaceutical industry -- it's definitely a pill that one can't sugar coat. The boyfriend figure in the movie was not a good match for the role and his acting was flat. As Heigl's character gains momentum her boyfriend seems unjustifiably jealous and indignant; while he claims that it's because she's selling out (NO SPOILERS), it plays out in a very unconvincing way. Supporting cast could have generally have been much better.The closing scene was a flurry of mixed signals. There was a bitter-sweet happy ending, but by the time it came around the director had dragged the viewers around for far too long.Of all the films in which Heigl has been well cast, I was very surprised to see her in this one at this stage in her career. I know the point was probably to be part of a more "indie" type film that reveals a truth about a major issue, but the movie fails on too many levels and falls flat.
jerikstacy
I loved it. My wife loved it. My daughter loved it. Pretty seldom we can say that.It was a good story. It had the conflicted love affair cliché going on but this actually seemed relevant for once. I think the main thing that I liked about it is that it opened a window into the world of the drug rep and from my personal experiences it seemed to be an accurate portrayal.I saw some previous comments that less than perfect production and plot holes marred the film. Well, go make your own movie then.For the rest of us who never really noticed the jump-cut in Taxi Driver, rent the film, put some popcorn in the microwave, open a bottle of wine and pop a few Viagra for afters!
kelticman
This director takes way too long setting up shots and the action is painfully slow. I am all for watching Heigl dress and undress. I could watch a movie called, "katherine gets dressed and undressed" and be happy.But even I got bored watching her put on her panty hose to go meet her boss at the copy store! Seriously, what was the point of that. It did not set an emotional tone. It did not advance the narrative. It did not show us anything about her character. This is the kind of movie I might shoot myself because I don't have a clue on how to make a movie! I love the info-tainment angle. But even that got dull.The romance guy: his looks were odd but it might have worked. But I felt zero chemistry. I don't know why, but i just did not get their chemistry.The roommate choice I thought was odd but cool. In real life, people have roommates who are nothing like them. Some set up to how they are room-mates were nice. I am all for tall, large black women, but I did not really feel the character had much depth.
emmapeel-2
Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau's indie film, Side Effects, is a funny but accurate and intelligent portrayal of what it's like to work as a pharmaceutical sales rep. It was shot in Madison, Wisconsin, in 18 days on a budget of $190,000, and it's better than most of the Hollywood blockbusters I've seen so far this year. Writer/director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau was a pharmaceutical sales rep for 10 years for two of the biggest companies (Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson) before becoming thoroughly disillusioned and leaving the industry to write this fictional script based on her experiences as a rep.The movie stars Katherine Heigl (of the TV series, Grey's Anatomy) as Karly Hert, a young woman struggling to reconcile her values with the slick requirements and lack of ethics in her job as a pharmaceutical rep. Lucien McAfee plays Karly's boyfriend, Zach Danner. The rest of the cast and crew consists of local Wisconsinites, including the film's Hollywood producer, Holly Mosher, a Milwaukee native.This is heavy subject matter, but it's successfully presented as a comedy/romance. Side Effects is informative and thoroughly entertaining.
AD
