A worldwide organ shortage devastates families every year. But when an organ is available for a recipient, a team is called to make a quick decision on which lucky recipient receives the organ. How do they choose between various gray and moral dilemmas?
"The God Committee," based off the play by Mark St. Germain, is a thought-provoking look into an organ transplant process from the moment an organ is ready for a recipient, to the toll the process has on all involved. Director and writer Austin Stark leads a stellar cast including Kelsey Grammer, Colman Domingo and Julia Stiles in this hospital drama.
The God Committee | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical Entertainmentwww.youtube.com
It's the year 2014 when an 18-year-old organ donor dies in a cycling accident. Despite the tragedy, his heart opens a new lease on life for a potential recipient in need. It quickly arrives at a New York hospital, where an organ transplant committee must decide within one hour which patient out of three deserves the life-saving heart.
Someone's life is in the hands of one committee including Dr. Boxer (Grammer), a cocky but phenomenal heart surgeon, Dr. Taylor (Stiles), a sharp newcomer in the hospital, and Dr. Gilroy (Janeane Garofalo), a doctor with the hospital's best interests at heart. Rounding out the team is Father Dunbar (Domingo), a priest with little experience. As time ticks away, ethics and blood money are on the line. And viewers see the effect it has on all involved during the present day as the plot flips between the times – implied by the cinematography through warm color tones (2014) and cool color tones (2021).
The film brings awareness to a few fascinating topics surrounding the organ transplant system: how scarce resources and organs are, how cold the process can be and how complicated morals can become. All characters play a part in delivering the messages intended for this film.
However "Committee" could be ten times better if it focused primarily on the 2014 timeline and abandoned ship in the present day. The plot is 100 percent more engaging when viewers see the committee playing God. Yes, the 2021 time jump notes Boxer's progressive research on utilizing other animal's organs for transplants, but it mostly focuses on the relationship between Stiles' and Grammer's characters, in which there isn't believable chemistry. In fact, all the characters involved are very plain; nothing really stands out for them. The cast includes a talented bunch but their acting talents are wasted on mediocre writing and character development.
Discovering which recipient they pick is the best reason to watch the movie, and judging the characters from the sidelines is half the fun. But the film certainly sheds much-needed light on a grim process.
Score: 5/10
"The God Committee" is available in select theaters and on demand starting Friday, July 2.
Follow the reporter on Twitter at @s_incorvaia.
