John Q (2002)

All she does is bark at the husband that he needs to do something, needs to try harder at everything he does. Furthermore: first, she's in the doctors' faces about inquiring what's wrong with her son while they're trying to focus on diagnosing him; then, she's repeatedly stressing to James Woods and Anne Heche at the table that she doesn't understand why this is happening because just that morning, he was fine. I wanted to be at the table with all of them and jump down her throat, "Well he's not fine anymore, obviously, so get that out of your head and just listen and comprehend what they're trying to draw in crayon for you."

When crafting a film like "John Q.", it would have been simple for director Nick Cassavetes to go the "simple route" and turn it into a simple hostage flick. Luckily for viewers, though, Cassavetes instead creates an incredibly nuanced movie that is casted about as perfectly as any film ever made.For a basic plot summary, "John Q." tells the story of John Archibald (Denzel Washington) and wife Denise (Kimberly Elise), who see their son Mikey (Daniel E. Smith) collapse at a Little League and require a new heart to live for much longer. The problem? The Archibalds do not have good enough insurance to cover the procedure, leading John to take matters into his own hands.This is one of my favorite movies of all-time because of its many nuances. The themes are very thought-provoking and very "grey"...no "black and white" heroes and villains here. As in real life, there are always other agendas that must be pieced together and reckoned with in order to understand any situation. The same goes for this movie. Is John the hero or the villain? It all depends on how you look at it. I love (and respect) films that are able to both entertain me and make me think about how the events on the screen relate to my own life.It only helps that this is perhaps the most perfectly-casted film in cinema history! Denzel is, of course, custom-made for his role, while auxiliary players like James Woods, Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, & Robert Duvall couldn't be better in the roles they play.Overall, "John Q." is a film that may just speak to you on a number of different levels (societal, personal, etc.). It also contains enough drama, action, and humor to be a well-rounded experience. If you are a fan of Denzel's work at all, or even just movies that will make you think, then this one should not be missed.

This was good, carried for the most part by Denzel Washington who (as always) puts on a great performance. It's one of those movies that will have you cheering for the "bad guy" and also questioning how far you would go for those you love? It also brings into play media exploitation, the American health care system and the lack of rights for the average blue collar worker.I was definitely invested in this story which felt unique and found myself frustrated alongside John and his lack of options. Denzel plays John Q Archibald, a family man whose son needs a lifesaving heart operation. When his health plan doesn't cover the medical procedure and after exhausting all avenues John snaps and takes drastic steps.What I enjoyed most about this movie was probably the interaction between 'John' and the hostages which takes up a considerable amount of the story and are played by some (now) very recognizable faces including Ethan Suplee, Kevin Connolly, Eddie Griffin and Shawn Hatosy.We also have James Woods as a conceited surgeon, Robert Duvall and Ray Liotta in police roles and wow Anne Heche, what a b!tch as the hospital coordinator.The ending was bit too melodramatic but all in a decent movie. 10/11/15

John Q - Started off just like one of your average Denzel films, but to be fair, I'm a huge fan so this wasn't a problem.He plays an out of luck father who's son suddenly develops a terminal condition and he only has months to watch him die.Himself and his family and the community go through hell and back to try and save his life. This fighting takes a turn for the worse, or better depending on your view on the situation. He takes matters into his own hands and accidentally gets the whole city behind him. If you haven't seen it, I can't tell you the whole picture or it'll spoil it.To recap, it's one of the best movies I've seen and even had me stopping the tears at one point. A true hero of a father story by Ben Nicholls @ WWW.KUDOSFILMCLUBREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK