Respond to these rapid questions in our Crisis quiz and we will tell you which Crisis character you are. Play it now.
Two decades have passed, but the high-stakes ecosystem that Steven Soderbergh brought to life with his masterful “Traffic” has retained its enduring appeal and high-quality production values to this day. Towards that end, it’s nearly impossible to get through even a few minutes of writer/director Nicholas Jarecki’s latest thriller “Crisis,” which unfolds amid the ongoing and deadly opioid epidemic, without hearing echoes of Steven Soderbergh’s far superior work, which similarly investigates the intricacies of a drug trade operation from the perspectives of a diverse range of stakeholders.
But when measured against “Traffic,” which has a more heightened sense of style, a more risk-taking energy, and a tight and intricate script that rarely spoon-feeds its morals to the audience, Jarecki’s film is underwhelming and not smart enough—too black-and-white in its principles, too second-hand in its visual aims, and exasperatingly scattered in its construction, lacking the kind of first-rate editing that Stephen Mirrione demonstrated in “Tra While “Crisis” isn’t exactly a dull watch, thanks largely to a star-studded ensemble cast, it’s likely to become one of those titles that you’ll watch once and then put aside with indifference or a mild “it’s fine” verdict.
What’s more frustrating is that it almost seems as if this harmless, well-intentioned film wants to waste away its potential by being just okay and forgotten. One of the factors contributing to the film’s paint-by-numbers feel is Jarecki’s flatness as a writer, which was also a hindrance to his otherwise respectable 2012 financial thriller “Arbitrage.” The “this is a public health crisis”-type outbursts of his morally searching leaders, or the devastating cries of his grieving civilians, somehow fail to leave a lasting impression or a sense of urgency in this place. As a result, the characters in “Crisis,” whose lives eventually but sloppily intertwine, are a jumble of tropes who are used as mouthpieces to deliver only the most familiar dialogue lines and character beats that you’d expect from a didactic film.
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The basic story is organized around three main plotlines, from which it branches out (sometimes incomprehensibly) to other pastures. A DEA agent working undercover alongside menacing drug lords to bring their operations down, Jake (Armie Hammer, who is currently undergoing a real-life crisis as a result of some of his recently-surfaced messages), and his troubled junkie sister (Lily-Rose Depp), who is addicted to Oxy, are among the characters in the film. As well as a successful architect, an addict in recovery, and a loving mother who takes matters into her own hands after apathetic police officers rule out the suspicious overdose death of her deceased son as an accident, there is Claire (Evangeline Lilly). With a surprising amount of authenticity in spite of having a small and underwritten role, Lilly brings much-needed life and humanity to a film that otherwise feels devoid of emotion.
Crisis Quiz
Finally, there’s the most compelling narrative thread in “Crisis,” which helps to make up for the film’s flaws in other areas. Gary Oldman portrays Dr. Tyrone Brower, a college professor who must reassess his priorities after a high-profile big-pharma drug that his department is paid to test out proves to be dangerous, if not fatal, to his students. There are times when you wish that this “The Insider”-style whistle-blowing yarn with complicated real-world implications involving the FDA and the corrupt healthcare industry had been deepened, smoothed out, and expanded to be the only focus of “Crisis.” But that’s not the case. To his discredit, Jarecki keeps things on the surface, flinging even more half-realized figures up against the wall to see which ones will stick. A cookie-cutter bigwig baddie insipidly code-named “Mother,” various vapid and offensive references to some evil Armenian guys, a number of one-note kingpins as well as various cops, and pharmaceutical executives trapped inside a machination that extends all the way to Canada, the majority of them don’t care. As a matter of fact, you might have a hard time recalling exactly what role major actors like Greg Kinnear, Luke Evans, and Michelle Rodriguez play in the film a few minutes after you’ve completed it.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Crisis quiz.
In many ways, “Crisis” is a classic example of a film that tries to be a little bit of everything, only to end up being a much lesser version of something you’ve been waiting to see for a long time. In the aftermath, it’s unfortunate that the title card at the end of the film—which provides the audience with some alarming global opioid statistics—seems to be the only thing worth remembering about this overcrowded tapestry of information.
About the quiz
The film will be released in theaters on February 26 and on digital platforms on March 5.Also, you must try to play this Crisis quiz.
For more personality quizzes check this: Dutch Quiz.
