Broken Vessels

Starring:Todd Field, Jason London, Roxana Zal, Susan Traylor, James Hong, Patrick Cranshaw, Brent David Fraser, Stephanie Feury, David Nelson (XVI), William Smith (XV), Charlie Spradling, Ashlie Rhey, Rodrigo Castillo, David Baer, Al Israel, Bobby Harwell, Shashawnee Hall, Rosemarie Li, Rose Powell, Rita Solomon
Director: Scott Ziehl
Studio: Allumination
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Super High Paramedics !!
Oscar-worthy performance from Todd Field
Spiraling Straight Into Hell
Terrific plot, outrageous characters, moral dilemmas, wanton drug use--it is all here
Derivative but worth the time

Broken Vessels
Starring: Todd Field , Jason London , Roxana Zal , Susan Traylor , and James Hong
Director: Scott Ziehl
Manufacturer: Unapix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001DCYM8
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Customer Reviews:

Super High Paramedics !!.......2007-02-16

I have to start saying that this is a serious movie involving Paramedics doing drugs while they're working (and of course, in their own time too).

It is very disturbing at times and makes you feel sorry and angry for the characters because they are completely out of control and this is a kind of work where the people's lives depend on this two persons...

This movie will leave you thinking and will stay with you after its over.

Oscar-worthy performance from Todd Field.......2006-06-26

I was floored by this movie. Having spent seven years in various Washington state prisons alongside the disenfranchised casualties of the idiotic and doomed "war on drugs",I am no stranger to the deleterious effects of drug abuse and I thought this movie was one of the very few anti-drug movies that really got the message across without preaching or appearing to glamorize drugs. Jason London quite impressed me with his portrayal of a small town innocent corrupted by big city vices. But the film belongs to Todd Field; he gives an Oscar-worthy performance.From the minute his character appears on screen he mesmerizes; it's a live-wire performance that should have netted him more recognition; he is a phenomenal actor. It is a shame this movie isn't more well known. Its one of the most powerful and well-acted American films to come down the pike in a long time. The director, Scott Ziehl, shows a very sure hand behind the camera. This is a great film filled with humor, pathos and heart, plus its got a parade of cameos from everyone from Ron Jeremy to William Smith. See this movie. You won't be disappointed.

Spiraling Straight Into Hell.......2006-03-16

This is a indie film about two EMT's. One of the guys is a rookie and all around good guy. The other guy is a veteran and burn out. Basically it's a story about how the veteran EMT corrupts the rookie. Drugs, voilence, more drugs, TONS OF DRUGS. Basically it's a sad story that's hard to watch. No one likes watching crackheads do drugs. The story is kinda weak, but it's still entertaining.

Terrific plot, outrageous characters, moral dilemmas, wanton drug use--it is all here.......2006-02-21

Fresh-faced Tom (Jason London) is just out of college and ready to launch his medical career by moving cross-country to Los Angeles and working as an EMT. He's partnered up with veteran paramedic Jimmy, a man who has burned out dozens of partners in the past. Tom tries to walk the straight-and-narrow when Jimmy wants to drink beer in the ambulance and stop in a bar on duty. It's a natural progression for Tom to give in to drinking, to try some speed, and then to smoke some dope with Jimmy (Jimmy's rule is that smoking is fine, but one should never inject heroin). One can just imagine how life spirals out of control from there. Tom and Jimmy end up forming a modern-day Robin Hood team to score drugs and money for drugs. Do druggies have debates about morality and ethics? You bet.

The film is filled with outrageous and unforgettable characters. There's Bob, Tom's uptight roommate who is obsessed with the phone bill and his fish tank (darkly comic tragedy ensues when Tom is put in charge of the fish tank). Susie, the neighborhood speed freak, is a complete scene-stealer with her manic and paranoid monologues. Picking up the movie just to see her physical and verbal performance is worth it. And then, of course, there's Gramps, a delightful practical joker of a man who raised Jimmy and now lives out his days in a nursing home, getting dope from his grandson to support his habit.

The bottom line in this story is about coming in to your own, and taking responsibility for your actions. Anyone who loves drug movies will enjoy this, and anyone just looking for a good story might be put off by the excessive drug use, but the good story is under there.

Derivative but worth the time.......2005-03-30

I have been trying to classify "Broken Vessels" ever since I watched it a few weeks ago. Is it a "message" film cloaked in dense drama? A typical Hollywood tale of excess and broken dreams? A redemptive tale? The answer is all three. Tinseltown loves to churn out these movies about some innocent backwoods rube moving to the big city only to find his or her dreams derailed by bright lights and the lure of the bottle and/or needle. These sorts of pictures treat us to roughly an hour or so of dangerous, out of control behavior before throwing in an ending that has the main character snapping back to reality and regaining control of his or her life. Usually the final revelation comes about due to some sort of tragedy, like a death, a fractured relationship, or incarceration. I think these films are supposed to be inspiring, the sort of movie that tells all the lost souls out there that it's acceptable to foul your life up because everyone gets a second chance to come clean and walk in the sunshine again. Or some nonsense like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that "Broken Vessels" is a film most of us have seen more than once.

That's not to say the movie isn't any good, however. "Broken Vessels" introduces us to Tom (Jason London), a gullible rube who moves from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles in order to make a fresh start in the big city. He's also fleeing from the horrific memory of a tragic automobile accident that he caused while driving under the influence. So right from the start we learn that this chap has issues with controlled substances. In order to earn enough money to secure his own lodgings, Tom accepts a position as a paramedic at a company run by the demanding and shrill Chen (James Hong). Before he can hit the street, however, he must learn the ins and outs of saving people's lives. Enter Jimmy (Todd Field), the resident hotshot who seems to know everything there is to know about being a paramedic. We follow Tom's awkward attempts to learn the job; his worst mistake involves writing off an injured motorcyclist when the poor guy is only injured. Ouch! Actually, it's a tough job and Tom doesn't do too badly thanks to Jimmy's patience and instruction. Tom's partner seems like a nice fellow in spite of the fact that he goes through partners like a thirsty man goes through glasses of water. Our hapless hero soon learns why others consider Jimmy anathema.

Jimbo has a drug problem, a big drug problem involving primarily heroin but also embracing just about any illegal substance known to man. He also has a temper, as evidenced in a situation where he abuses an injured passenger. Tom can't believe what his partner does on a daily basis, and he agonizes over what to do. Then the answer comes: join him! It's not too long before Tom and Jimmy are regular bosom buddies, whipping around the city on calls while getting high as kites in their off time. They sit in a park bombed out of their skulls while Tom films police officers beating up people at a Hispanic wedding ceremony, rip off drug dealers on a regular basis, and steal stuff from the homes of sick people in order to support their habits. Fun, eh? Things get worse after Tom moves in with Jimmy. A basket case next door, Suzy (Susan Traylor), introduces the boys to the wonderful world of meth. Predictably, Tom also meets and dates a nice young woman named Elizabeth (Roxanna Zal) who rapidly falls by the wayside as the drug abuse escalates to insane proportions. The conclusion to the film is appropriately grim while offering the requisite chance at redemption. Or does it? Watch and see.

You will want to watch "Broken Vessels" despite its derivative qualities. First, the performances are marvelous. London, who I remember fondly from "Dazed and Confused," convincingly portrays a kid with a problem who soon finds himself in way over his head. Todd Field, who I don't recall from any other film, does a credible job as the unbalanced Jimmy. Just as Tom has his own skeletons in the closet that he must deal with, we soon learn that Jimmy's upbringing by a drug-addicted grandfather (Patrick Cranshaw) is just the tip of the iceberg when trying to fathom this man's behavior. Special kudos should go to Susan Traylor as the addled Suzy. She talks a mile a minute, bounces off the walls, and totally makes the viewer believe this is a woman destroyed by drugs. Everyone onscreen does such a great job with their characters that I almost forgot I was watching a film I had already seen a half dozen times before. You come to care about these guys and girls, and you actually hope they get the help they need before the inevitable doom swallows them up. I don't know if "Broken Vessels" got a theatrical run, but if not it should have received one. This is a solid film with solid performances that could very well end up a minor cult classic. Oh, and look for cult fave William Smith in a small role as an injured goon.

Sadly, the DVD doesn't contain any behind the scenes footage or a commentary track, at least not on the version I watched. We do get trailers for this film, "Oxygen," "Razor Blade Smile," "Phantom of the Opera," "Dance with the Devil," and "Relax" along with fairly in-depth filmographies for the cast and crew. So if your looking for a message/drama film where an innocent rube goes to the big city and finds self-destruction and tragedy only to come out wiser in the end, "Broken Vessels" should fit the bill quite nicely.

Average customer rating:

Super High Paramedics !!
Oscar-worthy performance from Todd Field
Spiraling Straight Into Hell
Terrific plot, outrageous characters, moral dilemmas, wanton drug use--it is all here
Derivative but worth the time

Broken Vessels
Starring: Todd Field , Jason London , Roxana Zal , Susan Traylor , and James Hong
Director: Scott Ziehl
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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