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Broken Vessels

1999, Movie, R, 90 mins

Broken Vessels: Review

BROKEN VESSELS
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You're in L.A. having a heart attack and you call 911: You'd better hope the paramedics they dispatch aren't Tom (Jason London) and Jimmy (Todd Field). Tom isn't so bad: A cleancut, soft-spoken guy from Pennsylvania looking for a new start (oh-oh: there's something going on in flashback that says maybe he's got a secret back home... ), Tom heads West and registers with an independent ambulance company. The trouble starts when he finds himself paired with longtime EMT driver Jimmy, who goes through partners like disposable latex gloves. It doesn't take Tom long to find out why: Jimmy's a junkie, a thief, a daredevil and an all-around hellraiser. When Tom gets booted out of his apartment share, he moves in with Jimmy — who's also a charming and generous guy, as long as you're not a party pooper — and the downward spiral picks up serious momentum. Writer-director Scott Ziehl's debut feature is an assured piece of work, stylish without being overwhelmed by flashy camera tricks. The canvas is small, but Ziehl can tell a story and the characters are drawn with admirable economy: Supporting actors Susan Traylor and Patrick Cranshaw shine in the roles of the hyperactive speed freak who lives next door to Tom and Jimmy, and Jimmy's grandpa, an affable codger with a habit older than the war on drugs. And who hasn't wondered what goes on in those ubiquitous paramedic vans: Ziehl offers a lively, sordid glimpse of what you have to hope isn't business as usual. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
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