Paper Mask

Paper Mask

Paper Mask

After a doctor is killed in an accident, an orderly (Paul McGann) assumes his identity, taking his place as a hospital's new Casualty Officer. The plan soon goes pear-shaped resulting in disaster and death. PAPER MASK is a well-made, British medical drama / psychological thriller. Part of the fun is wondering how long the orderly-turned-doctor can get away with his ruse. As his life gets more complicated, it becomes clear that it won't be long before it all crashes down on him. Amanda Donohoe is Christine, a very helpful nurse, and Tom Wilkinson is the ultra-demanding Doctor Thorn...

Recently i've become a fan of Amanda Donohoe's films so i want to watch as many as i can. Being paired with Paul McGann had me hoping this would be a gem of a movie and i was right. It starts off at a leisurely pace and the dialogue is quite cheap and annoying. Donohoe comes to the rescue a few times. I should say there are 2 versions of the film. The one i watched (Region 0 and 105 minutes) was 5 minutes longer than my other "cheap copy" which was really postage stamp sized anyway so i got lucky there. You can probably guess what they omitted, the swine. Back to the plot and halfway in the intensity of the movie picks up and i really hope you can understand what is happening. It intensifies all the way to the end and i don't want to ruin the plot. Magic word for me was "Renal" (Renal flush, Doc ?) A must watch and another notch in Donohoes belt.

Paul McGann and Amanda Donohoe give convincing performances as respectively, hospital porter Matthew Harris who steps into the shoes of a recently qualified medical student, now deceased, and the nurse whom is gradually drawn into the deceit in this gripping story that can't fail to leave you with a slight sense of unease about the medical profession. He gets away with a disastrous first day in A&E partially because it had not been unknown for previous students with the right qualifications to panic in that way. Later when responsible for the death of a patient and being absolved by the medical establishment, he's surrounded by back-slapping junior colleagues - we've all done it mate - sort of thing. Even the sceptical Dr Thorn (Tom Wilkinson) whom has sensed that Harris is a hollow man from the start, finally keeps his thoughts to himself rather than rock the boat. Toward the end the story relies a little on coincidence, and ignores altogether how Harris could have got away with his deception with the tax authorities for instance, but these are minor quibbles. Paper Mask is a film deserving a much higher profile.

Despite being over 30 years old now, this film has aged pretty well and is still a very effective (measured) thriller. Pretty much everything here is spot on, from the two wonderful leads (Paul McGann and Amanda Donohoe) to an effective script and tight direction/editing. A "lost" little gem.

"Paper Mask" is a very effective little medical thriller, well acted and compellingly written. Paul McGann ("Withnail & I", "Alien 3") stars as Matthew Harris, an orderly in a hospital who aspires to bigger things. When a doctor whom Matthew resembles perishes in a traffic accident, Matthew decides to assume his identity. Now, he's "Dr. Simon Hennessy", and manages to get hired at a different hospital despite his lack of extensive medical knowledge. Entering into a relationship with a sexy nurse (Amanda Donohoe, "Lair of the White Worm"), Matthew / Simon has a very rough start at his new job, but is able to improve his job performance through study. But he won't be able to cover up his deception forever...... An intelligent film with something to say about ambition, and the protection of image & reputation, "Paper Mask" is quite gripping, especially once the story (John Collee scripted, based on his novel) is well underway and it starts to get quite dark and nasty. While McGann is able to make his character engaging, there's no hiding the fact that he's lacking in the compassion factor, something that the officious Dr. Thorn (Tom Wilkinson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel") has picked up on early in the game. When Matthew makes the decision to cold-bloodedly remove an obstacle in his path, any sympathy he might have earned before is completely gone. More squeamish viewers will wince at the scenes in which Matthew mishandles various accident victims, and at shots of needles being inserted into hands and arms. That moment of the "doctor" trying to "help" a man with a bad hand wound is particularly distressing. But the overall film is just so good that viewers will find it worth their time to stick with it. The acting is right on point, with the amiable McGann scoring as this rather immoral antagonist. Donohoe delivers one of her best film performances. The two of them are well supported by Wilkinson, Frederick Treves ("The Elephant Man"), Barbara Leigh-Hunt ("Frenzy"), and Jimmy Yuill ("Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"). As of this writing, there are only 10 reviews for "Paper Mask" at IMDb. So clearly it remains a little-known film that hasn't gotten its due. Producer / director Christopher Morahan ("Clockwise") and company definitely knew what they were doing, opening with McGann enjoying the strains of the classic Platters song "The Great Pretender". Eight out of 10.

Went to see this movie by mistake when we just fancied a movie one night - turns out this is in my top 5 ever (although can't put it on FB because it isn't listed!!!). Gotta be the single most underrated movie of all time. Grips you, chills you, excites you and then spits you out - if you can sleep after this one then you don't care about a thing!! Paul McGann is almost accidentally brilliant, and it is so well put together. I haven't written anything here about any other movie, just Paper Mask. Goes to show that it's publicity and marketing that makes you or breaks you..... Anyway, if this is out on DVD (doubt it - it doesn't even have a Wikipedia listing - disgraceful!), then it's a no brainer. When I lived in the UK Channel 4 showed it a couple of times and so I probably have it on a VHS somewhere, but sadly don't have an active VHS recorder anymore!!

Ambitious hospital orderly Matthew Harris (an excellent and engaging performance by Paul McGann) wishes to rise above his lowly station in life. So he assumes the identity of a recently deceased doctor and gets a nice new job at another hospital. Assisted by helpful and smitten nurse Christine Taylor (an utterly charming and vibrant portrayal by Amanda Donohue), Matthew soon finds out that pulling off this elaborate and diabolical charade will be easier said than done. Director Christopher Morahan, working from a clever and compelling script by John Collee, not only wrings plenty of tension and a good deal of cheeky humor from the audacious premise as the viewer wonders how long (and how well) Matthew can get away with his bold hoax, but also astutely nails the smugness and arrogance of successful physicians who care more about their lofty social status than they do about their patients. Moreover, this movie illustrates in a chilling and provocative manner that Matthew's inexperience and incompetence make him no worse or less dangerous than his more capable and seasoned colleagues with medical degrees. The fine acting from a bang-up cast keeps things humming: McGann and Donohoe do sterling work in the leads, with sound support from Frederick Treves as the amiable Dr. Munford, Tom Wilkinson as the stern and suspicious Dr. Thorn, Barbara Leigh-Hunt as the sweet Celia Mumford, and Jimmy Yuill as Matthew's jolly working class pal Alec Moran. Kudos are also in order for Nat Crosby's sharp cinematography, Richard Harvey's spare moody score, and the daringly unconventional ending. A real sleeper.