Review: 'Crisis' is a 'Must-See' Mostly-Cohesive Puzzle
Every so often a riveting, socially-conscious cinematic gem somehow falls by the wayside instead of finding the audience it deserves. Todd Haynes' extraordinary "Dark Waters" is a recent example. Now it seems to be happening, for a variety of reasons, with Nicholas Jarecki's pulse-pounding attack on the opioid epidemic, "Crisis."
Jarecki wrote and directed the absorbing indie "Arbitrage" in 2012, a film that starred Richard Gere. This is his second narrative feature, which is shocking considering just how well he visually tells a story.
The ambitious plot masterfully interweaves a number of different narratives that crisscross one another.
Undercover DEA agent Jack Kelly (Armie Hammer), along with his subdued partner (Jarecki), are trying to bring down a fentanyl smuggling operation while a grief-stricken former addict, Claire Reimann (Evangeline Lilly), goes on a quest to find out how her teen son really died. Meanwhile, a respected University professor, Dr. Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman), discovers frightening lab results about a new painkiller that is supposed to be non-addictive, much to the frustration of a gaggle of pharmaceutical company honchos, to which he is greatly indebted. The way these pieces converge into a mostly-cohesive puzzle is part of the delight of watching "Crisis."
Jarecki tosses us right into the action from the very get-go with an exciting sequence in the snow-covered mountains along the Canadian border, where a drug runner is trapped by the cops. The film smartly lets up momentum for a few touching moments, but the pace never dissipates.
One of the glories of "Crisis," besides the terrific filmmaking style, is Evangeline Lilly, who delivers the film's most powerful performance as a mother who will do what it takes to find the truth. Jarecki peppers his cast with great female actors; I just wish he had given them all more fleshed out roles. It's wonderful to see the terrific Mia Kershner, one of Canada's most fascinating thesps, but her role is too limited. Ditto a shattering Lily-Rose Depp, who plays Jack's addict sister, a character that seems to exist only as a plot device.
On the male side, the incredible Gary Oldman dives into the heart of a man who has devoted his life to his work and now finds himself a whistleblower. Luke Evans makes an indelible impression as a power-abusing pharmaceutical corporate exec.
The only misfire is Armie Hammer. Admittedly, I have never been a fan, except for "The Social Network," where I am now realizing he was probably playing a version of himself times two. When everyone was fawning over him in "Call Me By Your Name," I was the seeming lone voice, thinking he was wooden and "playing" gay in that manner that winks at the audience that he's really straight but somehow doing queer people a favor. In "Crisis" he is sometimes laughably over the top, which almost works for the role. Almost. Yeah, I'm not a fan...
And my dissing of Hammer has nothing to do with the recent and very serious allegations against him. On that, I will simply say "Crisis" is too good a film to be banished because of the abominable behavior that one of its actors has been accused of. Should all the hard work of so many artists and craftsmen be dismissed and destroyed because of one lousy actor? I think not.
Opioids have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide with no seeming end in sight. Jarecki has a taken this heady theme to heart and given us a film that deserves to be seen and absorbed.
"Crisis" is now available on Prime Video, AppleTV, Vudu, and Fandango Now.