The Good Nurse tells the tale of a dedicated nurse who aids the law in bringing her colleague, a suspected killer to justice. This is a slow burning thriller almost completely shot in the dark, undoubtedly to enhance the somber plot.
Jessica Chastain plays Amy Loughren, a dedicated nurse in a hospital in Jersey. Early in the film, her physician gives her devastating news. She has Cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that can sometimes render her weak and with a shortness of breath. As a single mother of two, she find this news hard to accept. To get a heart transplant, she must remain at the hospital for another four months.
Jessica is seen taking care of an woman Ana, who has her spouse always by his side in the hospital. The elderly couple seems very much in love. Soon the hospital hires a male nurse, Charles Cullen to help Amy. Amy and Charles develop a good working relationship and friendship. Cullen tells her that like her, he too has two children. He also seems to be empathetic towards patients he manages.
Amy who seemed be responding favorably to the treatment, suddenly passes away. In an attempt to avoid negative publicity, the Hospital does not report the death to the authorities, until seven weeks after the incident. The hospital’s publicist persistently states that no foul play was involved when questioned by the authorities.
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain
Director: Tim Travers Hawkins
This suspicious behavior by the hospital’s publicist, arouses the suspicion of two cops Baldwin and Braun, who investigate Cullen. They meet with Amy and inform her that Cullen has a questionable past and has been fired from nine hospitals, earlier. Amy, at first is loyal to her colleague, and defends Cullen.
However, she soon realizes that Cullen has given Amy insulin. She meets an old acquaintance who has worked with Cullen at another hospital. The old friend tells her that there had been rumors that Culllen caused another patient’s death.
Amy now has a change of heart. The rest of the plot is about how Amy aids the detectives to bring Cullen to justice.
Most of the movie proceeds in a dull linear fashion, except for one scene where she is in a car with Cullen. Amy tries to open the door but the door does not budge. She tries hard to keep her composure, not to allow any suspicion from Cullen.
Both Chastain as Amy and Redmayne as Charlie Cullen give strong performances, that won them Golden Globe nominations, but the movie lacks enough elements to keep the viewer engaged. But for the performances of the lead actors, the movie almost feels like a run-of-the-mill Lifetime film. Passable is my verdict.
Bay Area Bloke 