Claudio Carvalho
In Los Angeles, the call girls Crystal Gerrity (Chloe Webb) and Peisha (Eva LaRue) are partying with the prominent Senator Marquand (Frank R. Roach) that has an overdose. Crystal keeps the film with the photos she had taken and together with Peisha, she meets the lawyer Napoleon Stone (Denzel Washington) that is her boyfriend. Meanwhile the racist and bigoted cop Jack Moony (Bob Hoskins) sees Stone in his car with Crystal, who was his girlfriend, and chases him despite the protest of his partner Harry Zara (Ray Baker) that wants to be promoted to detective. However Jack has a heart attack but is saved by the heart of Stone, who had a car accident. Out of the blue, Jack sees the ghost of Stone that tells him that he was murdered. Jack is forced to team-up with Stone to investigate who killed him. But no one else can see Stone but him. "Heart Condition" is a strange film that is lost between comedy with heavy hand and crime. The plot is funny is some moments and violent in others. There are holes in the story, like for example, how Jack would explain the large amount that he had spent. In addition, this character is non-likable. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Uma Estranha Condição" ("A Strange Condition")
kestrelgrey
"Pump action comedy" says the front of the video case. Yes, I get it, "pump action" as in shotguns (which the video case shows on the back cover) and heart beats - however anyone thinking it is going to be a comedy...i.e that they might laugh much, is going to be very disappointed. Oh hold on, perhaps it's a black comedy, so we are not supposed to laugh?....hmmm....the back of the video case says "hilarious story"Frankly, I wonder if this film really needed to be made. ;and if it had been decided that it was integral to the plot that the two male leads of the racial and physical types depicted, then the producers might have been better off with people more used to making comedies, like Eddie Murphy and Danny De Vito.The only scene that was at all well done was near the start when Jack Mooney's superior officer was chewing out for using the N-word. I've seen a similar scene in another film with Nick Nolte I think and it was done better there. The plot had several glaring continuity errors, some of which are already on this site. But here are some more: all of which occur in the same 5 minute segment. When Jack Mooney nearly rejects Denzil Washinton's heart, Denzil is on the bed and suggests that they could play video games together. But surely not, as he would not be able to handle the controls, as earlier on in the film, Denzil revealed that he was unable to shut a door, as he could only touch Jack Mooney. Then when Jack Mooney discharges himself from hospital, he gets into a police car. Where on earth did the keys for that suddenly materialise from? And when the receptionist at the hospital makes a phone call, ALL the heart monitors she is supposed to be watching are either switched off or are flat lining. Early on in the film Jack Mooney is swigging from a bottle, which he has apparently just bought hence the bag it is in, but one swig later the bottle is 3/4 empty. The 5 kilogram cat seemingly has what appears to be a lethal dose of whisk bourbon as well, but apparently without any ill effect.The plot, even once we accept the premise of a ghost coming back, is frankly unbelievable. Early on in the film we learn that Napoleon Stone, Denzil Washington's lawyer character has been killed just in case his hooker clients him told him anything - yet the hookers themselves are kept alive, seemingly with attempts only being made to kill them many months later, towards the end of the film. As for the final scene, the gunfight has to be one of the most unbelievable ever seen. It is somewhat unbelievable that the bad guys didn't seem to have a look out watching for his arrival and gun him down from the front windows as he walked towards the building. However Jack manages to enter the building without any opposition. He then decides that the ideal strategy is to use the "wizard's Eye" strategy send the ghost on ahead to scout the place out. A good idea surely. The ghost does this and reports a bad guy with a big gun waiting in the next room. So without further ado, avoids him and heads up the stairs....without getting the ghost to check the upstairs areas first. No matter, as none of the bad guys seem to be waiting for that possibility. By contrast, later on when a bad guy is coming cautiously up the stairs, Jack blows him away in an instant.Later on in the same gunfight, Jack is trying to escape with his girl, who is severely drugged and thus unable to walk unassisted. This causes problems as Jack Mooney is barely able to stand himself. The ghost is unable to help her, but it does not seem to occur to either him or Jack, that the solution is for Jack to lean on the ghost and thus for the ghost to take the weight in that way. This solution had already been used when Jack discharged himself from the hospital and was leaning on the ghost.Anyway despite Jack Mooney still suffering from his heart condition, being severely wounded in the chest during the early stages of the gunfight, and barely able to stand he is revealed as a supreme gunfighter and marksman. It seems that even the tear gas canister that he threw himself and then ran straight into the area of effect of, didn't have any adverse affect his stamina, eyesight or lightening quick reflexes as he killed all 5 of the baddies with just 5 shots including shots as he dived to the floor, span round to kill the guy behind him and fired one handed.Denzil Washington was right to fire his agent after this turkey.
Phil Chapman
As "Heart Condition" was made at roughly the same time as "Ghost", it was not a "copy". It ("Heart Condition") isn't a "love story" (as "Ghost" is), which let it's comedic portrayal overshadow "Ghost", in my opinion.GREAT movie!
