From NetFlix:
Drug-addicted attorney Mike and his business partner Paul take on a case involving an emergency room nurse who has been pricked by an infected needle. Uncovering a web of corporate conspiracies, Mike and Paul quickly find themselves outmatched.
According to the Wikipedia review of this film:
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The story is based on two young lawyers and a syringe manufacturer who had invented a safety syringe that he was unable to sell. The safety syringe manufacturer filed an antitrust lawsuit against the two largest hospital group purchasing organizations and a large syringe manufacturer claiming he was being shut out of the market.[3] The case was settled before trial for $150 million dollars.[4]
In addition the film brings to light several issues affecting American health care:
1. Accidental needle sticks cause thousands of US nurses to be infected by HIV, Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases every year. [5]
2. Needle reuse in Africa and Asia directly cause 1.3 million deaths annually, 23 million hepatitis infections annually and 260,000 HIV/AIDS infections annually. [6]
A passing reference in the movie also touches on whether AIDS in Africa is spread by sex or needle reuse. Research has found needle reuse, rather than sex, may have been the main cause of the rapid spread of AIDS in Africa. [7] Fearing that if this comes to light Africans will refuse needle immunization and other important treatments, some health care professionals allege that the UN and WHO have moved to suppress this information. [8].
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Footnote 3 leads to an article in the New York Times that identifies the guilty medical supply companies as Premier and Novation.
Mark Weiss was indeed a young lawyer fairly out of control. Possibly for titillation purposes we see him engaging in drug use often, at times nude next to a nude woman also using the drugs. But do not let that dissuade you from continuing with this worthwhile and engaging film. In fact Mark Weiss dies of a drug overdose at the age of 32. His partner continued the good fight.
Be sure to watch the final credits because they tell us a bit of what follows the end of the film.
Four of the actors are principal:
- Chris Evans (age 30) who plays Mark Weiss was Captain America.
- Mark Kassen is a very young looking 40 year old who does not have many screen credits to his name. He plays Mark’s lawyer partner.
- Marshall Bell (age 69) plays the inventor. He has taken many supporting roles, for example in the “Rum Diary”.
- Brett Cullen (age 55) plays the opposing lawyer who has sold out for money. He plays Captain Perkins in the TV series “Body of Proof”
Better than the usual big bad guys versus honest lawyers. DO NOT MISS!