Displaying items by tag: Pain Hustlers movie

PAIN HUSTLERS

US, 2023, 123 minutes, Colour.

Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O'Hara, Andy Garcia, Jay Duplass, Bryan D'Arcy James, Amit Shah, Chloe Coleman.

Directed by David Yates.

Here is a drama that focuses on the opioid crisis in the United States (and beyond). This is a fictionalised drama about a young woman, Liza, working in the club, with an ill daughter, who is propositioned by a businessman in the club, makes contact with him, looking for a job. She is played by Emily Blunt. He is played by Chris Evans.

Liza is shrewd, fabricates an education background, auditions well, especially with the founder of the company, Jack Neel, played by Andy Garcia. The company is just starting, producing drugs, looking for outlets, promoting the drugs with doctors, offering them benefits.

The drama shows how easy it is to be caught up in the enthusiasm of big profit, underestimating the moral approaches of the company directors. Liza find she has a flair for influencing doctors, a talent for plausible explanations. The film has an interesting supporting cast led by Catherine O’Hara who plays Liza’s mother who becomes involved with Dr Neel as well as becoming a member of the sales staff.

Ultimately, there are moral issues, doctors and their downfalls, arrests, exposures, court cases, prison.

Since 2020, the opioid epidemic, the proliferation of oxycodone and fentanyl, have become key to some documentaries, a television miniseries, other fiction films. The focus is on the Sackler family who developed the opioids with great business success but with moral challenges. Award-winning documentarist, Alex Gibney, probed this in The Crime of the Century. Celebrated photographer, Nan Golden, also made a devastating exploratory and accusing documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Netflix also has a six part series, Painkiller, starring Matthew Broderick, a docudrama about the Sackler is. The theme was also present in the thriller, Crisis, with Gary Oldman.

Pain Hustlers is interesting and enjoyable as a drama – but, it raises the very important issues of opioids, medication, exploitation, financial interests.

(Direction by David Yates who made the last four Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts series)

1. Based on true story and court cases? Other films on this theme?
2. The US, drugs, prescriptions, deaths? Investigations?
3. Florida, the atmosphere, homes, companies, officers, promotions, court? The musical score?
4. Liza Drake, agent background, living in the garage, her daughter, Phoebe, epilepsy? An exotic dancer? Her life and prospects? The encounter with Pete? The offer? Her being ousted and her car taken, at the motel?
5. Peter Brenner, customer, relationship with Liza, opportunist, his work for the company, with Jack Neel?
6. The company, Zanna, the situation, start-up, investors, money, drugs and marketing, contact with doctors on promotion?
7. Liza, meeting with Neel, Pete falsifying her resume, her qualifications? Jack Neel, accepting her? Setting a target, five days, her not achieving it, Phoebe and her seizures? The exploitation?
8. Dr Lydell, Liza and the meetings, listening to his discussions with the cancer patients, persuading him, invite him to speak, not a success? Pete and his continued persuasion, the growing number of clients, prescriptions?
9. The team, the range of recruits, the training, their mission, Jackie’s presence?
10. Exposure, Neel and his favours, Pete and the CEO recording discussions, the range of clients?
11. The role of Jackie, her relationship with her daughter, granddaughter, their interactions, the attraction to Jack Neel, the affair, sleeping with him, her becoming part of the team, her being fired?
12. Phoebe, the seizures, need for an operation, the situation, financial?
13. Liza and the death of her friend’s husband, hostility, the need for a further exposure?
14. Liza, her actions and decisions, taking the documents from Pete, Neel isolating himself, yet the exposure through the past emails?
15. The issue into more, its history in the US, the principals going to court, prison sentences?
16. Liza, 15 months in prison, getting out, with her mother, a new beginning?