The God Committee (2021) User Reviews

Thoughtful medical ethics drama

[CrazyArty · 7/10 · 20 October 2021]

A medical ethics drama about a committee of doctors deciding which patients will get organ transplants.

A fascinating area for a movie plot, an exploration of how these decisions are made. It's made more dramatic by the involvement of a financial impact in this case, but a very thought provoking movie nonetheless.

Kelsey Grammer delivers a very credible performance.

Not an easy topic, and ultimately not a movie masterpiece but engaging and thoughtful and definitely worth a watch.

The God Committee

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 7/10 · 1 August 2021]

7/10 - genuinely interesting dive into the ethics and forces at play in the hospital that is only slightly derailed by a secondary plot that is pretty unnecessary for the most part.

Very topical right now.

[woodvillelite-1 · 7/10 · 14 January 2022]

This intrigued me when I saw it on Netflix as it is very well timed. A transplant was done in Maryland with a genetically changed pigs heart into a man just on Jan 7th, 2022.

This is an interesting story of a hospital's committee that has to decide who has the right to an organ that is available. So many things makes their decisions not as easy as it should be ..... as in will a donation of 25 million by the father of a man who is obviously not worthy, over a man or woman who are only rich in their families love and support.

The story spans two timelines .... one of this timeline and many years after and what the result of the decision made.

Do these things happen in some of the decision making rooms, I honestly believe they do and biases are biases .... if the person drinks, smokes, got arrested for a petty crime decades ago .... and so it goes. Interesting story but not if you are looking for action, as most of it is done between 4 walls of the committee room.

Casting is Kelsey Grammar, Julia Stiles and Janeane Garofalo and for me the casting could have been better.

Very moving ... photos at beginning and end of real transplant teams and patients with some very moving music throughout.

Best wishes to David Bennett who was the recipient of said pigs heart. He was not deemed acceptable normally as he was guilty in past of stabbing a man. Since the surgery is still in the testing stage he accepted the surgery knowing he may not live long without it.

Definitely an at home conversation starter

[charlesrichards-20414 · 7/10 · 18 July 2021]

I really enjoyed this movie. Kelsey Grammer did a great job. This movie left us with a lot of "what would you do in that scenario?" questions.

I liked it

[lorenadeisla · 7/10 · 10 July 2021]

I liked the movie. You don't know the ordeal that is to wait for an organ, or to be the donor or family of an organ donor.

It was a very simple way to describe and show what happen previously and sometimes afterwards a transplant. I'm an organ recipient and waited in a list for 3 years so I know what it's like. Bye now.

Hair and smoking. No hair and gum. Or visa versa? And on and on. Back and forth.

[thejdrage · 4/10 · 6 February 2022]

This was absolutely the most confusing movie I have ever seen. It boggled the mind. Yes, it wrapped up at the end, but that was FAR too late. I am really tired of the new film fashion of constant and frequent "flash backs".

I like all of the actors, but they were not given the best vehicle. Nor was Grammer given the best hair piece.

If I thought it was worth it, I'd watch this again, but there's no way I want to watch it again. Am not sure I'm glad I watched it the first time.

At times intriguing but uneven medical ethics drama

[paul-allaer · 6/10 · 4 July 2021]

As "The God Committee" (2021 release; 98 min.) opens, we see a young man on a bike get his by a car in a hit-and-run. We then go to "November 6, 2014, New York City", where we get to know Dr. Boxer, a well-known heart surgeon, and Dr. Taylor, his lover and also a heart surgeon at the same hospital. Dr. Taylor has just gotten named to the heart committee, which decides which patients get a heart transplant. We then go the "7 Years Later, Dec. 20", as Dr. Boxer is making a presentation to investors about cross-species organ transplants... At this point we are less than 15 min. Into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the second feature length from producer-writer-director Austin Stark ("The Runner"). Here he takes a look at the drama that plays out in hospitals all over the country all over this country, namely how organs are allocated (to whom and in which order) to those in need of a transplant. Let's just say that there are a lot of ethical considerations that make is quite easy to write into a medical drama like this one. At times, the movie is intriguing but all to often the movie is uneven, and the script not strong enough. The saving grace comes by way of the two lead performers, namely Kelsey Grammer (as Dr. Boxer< and he also executive-produces), and Julia Stiles (as Dr. Taylor; it blows the mind that in the meantime she has turned 40). There is a nice instrumental score, courtesy of the Newton Brothers (who also score Stark's previous film "The Runner").

"The God Committee" was film in 2019 and was supposed to premier at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, but then a little thing called COVID-19 had different ideas. The movie finally premiered at the recent 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and premiered in select US theaters this weekend. The Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati was attended so-so: exactly 10 people, and heavily tilting towards seniors (not that there is anything wrong with that). If you have any interest in a medical ethics drama, or simply are a fan of Kelsey Grammer or Julia Stiles, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

Good Acting That Goes Nowhere

[zorroaca · 5/10 · 5 July 2021]

The plots are developed in slow and boring ways. It's too bad because the acting isn't that bad. Julia Stiles is wonderful as usual but is portrayed in a relationship that is utterly unbelievable.

The Heart is just a muscle

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 26 July 2021]

Dr. Boxer (Kelsey Grammer) and Dr. Taylor (Julia Stiles) were once an item, but still work together at a New York City hospital. They do heart transplants and sit on a committee that decides who gets the next available heart. Boxer tends to be more pragmatic than Taylor. Boxer is experimenting with animals, raising a pig that may be an organ donor. Things become complicated when he needs a heart and the son of a rich man who sponsor's Boxer's work needs a heart. The committee headed by Janeane Garofalo can not help but take the money into consideration.

This is an interesting hospital drama that paints many gray areas in ethics.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Unengaging and lacking excitement.... a very dry experience.

[Jim_Screechy · 4/10 · 5 July 2021]

I watched this primarily because of the cast, and though the film was ultimately a let down, I only have myself to blame. The days of being able to use actors or a cast, even high profile ones, as criteria to asses a movie are officially over. Although there have always been some occasional incidences of this occurring, 2020 saw this become a widespread and more or less standard phenomenon which is now commonplace.

I have seen some reviews with very high scores here, and I would simply suggest that some may be less than genuine. If you are looking at this from an informational perspective... more as a documentary rather than an entertainment piece then I could understand why you may find this somewhat more interesting, but as a movie for entertainment, I think a five out of ten would be a generous score.

The performances from the cast are pretty solid and the story the movie is trying to portray is a good one. Unfortunately it isn't depicted interestingly and the result is, for the most part, a boring representation of what should have been a very interesting and highly charged topic.

There are problems with the script from the get go, a lot of rambling monologues and wordy exchanges with heavy undertones, innuendo, an implication throughout. The screen play never really highlights the real (and quite powerful) issues properly and the brooding way the story evolves really stalls the screenplay.

By far the biggest problem is the way the story flits back and forth between the past and present events with only Kelsey Grammers hairline as a clear indication of what period of the timeline the story is addressing. This is a difficult manner of portraying a story, and you had better have good reason for doing it. Sadly this is really at odds with how the story unfolds here and it does a serious disservice to the experience.

Ultimately I didn't enjoy the movie or find it particularly interesting even though I actually find the issues and ethics surrounding Transplantation quite an intriguing one. I was bored half way though and only through sheer will power and long held crush on Julia Styles did I make it to the end.

Interesting concept..close to what it happened to me

[hikerlasvegas · 9/10 · 13 January 2022]

I am kidney transplant recipient (2-2011) When I was called to the hospital, another patient waiting for a kidney too, was called, our romms were next to each other, so we crossed sight at one point. Since there were 2 kidneys, one was for him and the other for me. I was taken to the operation room the next day and had a succesful surgery. The next day after the surgery I found out the other patient was sent home with out having a transplant, because since my donor passed in a car accident, one kidney was too damaged and was not suitible for transplant. I've been always wondering how the commite decided to give the surviving kidney to me.

Felt like a depressing Monday morning board meeting

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 15 July 2021]

This interesting and unique story - from a play by Mark St. Germain, was written and directed by newb filmmaker Austin Stark, in his second full length feature film.

I haven't seen the play, but the screenplay was only just interesting, and lacking of any real real excitement, or anyone to cheer for. The pacing was too slow, and there just wasn't enough substance to make the 98 min runtime fly by effortlessly. It played well into the Medicine vs. Morality vs. Commerce conflict in the donor decision making process, but that could've easily been portrayed in a much shorter screenplay.

Performances were decent, especially Kelsey Grammer and Julia Stiles (although their relationship wasn't convincing), but in general, the obvious lack of proper "cast direction" from Stark's inexperience was evident. Everyone seemed monotonic in their dialogue and body language.

The cinematography I found a little bland, and the score was nothing really spectacular. Nevertheless, a decent effort and presentation by Stark. If anyone is in the medical field, or has dealt with the donor process, I'd say it's a must-see, as they'll probably appreciate it more than a general audience.

Do Not Waste Your Money

[ablack90 · 1/10 · 3 July 2021]

I rented this film online and never wasted money this badly. The premise is interesting enough. A committee of health professionals decide eligible candidates for heart transplants. The film is derailed by it's non existent plot. Any 10 ratings on IMDb should be met with a high degree of skepticism.

Kelsey Grammar is grossly miscast as the lead scientist who pioneers a new transplant technique. One part boring and two parts asshole, he smokes his way through the role as if sleep walking in a dream, oblivious of anything that really matters in life. Julia Stiles is a good actor but she can't save the weak storyline and dialogue. Janeane Garofalo is always a treat but her role is relegated to pragmatic administrator, not exactly a great use of her talents.

My biggest complaint is how futile the plot drones on as we follow the committee's reasoning for their final decision. This can't even be considered a drama because there is zero drama. I'm sad to see this mess for 3 actors who I've loved over the years.

I will find you a heart that is what i can offer...

[bessieben · 6/10 · 15 July 2021]

Hard-edged look at the ethics, the compromises and the difficult choices. "The heart is just a muscle,"

Not as bad as some people say on here

[joehendo-44247 · 7/10 · 7 August 2021]

It's a decent enough watch, people just being typically overly cynical.

An interesting premise that goes nowhere

[0w0 · 5/10 · 4 July 2021]

The movie's story/plot is interesting actually, but in the end it leaves SEVERAL things unexplained and unresolved. What's the point of watching a movie where you're shown and introduced to various different characters and plot devices, only for them to be left unresolved by the time the movie comes to an end.

This is only the director, Austin Stark's, 2nd film and his first film was the mediocre 'The Runner (2015)' which currently holds a 5/10 on imdb... so it seems that Austin Stark is currently 0 for 2, in the 'director' department and has yet to make a movie worth watching. Perhaps he'll get better in the future, but on the other hand, perhaps he's just not got the talent to be a director... since a director can make or break a movie, it's really important to have a good one on your film, else it'll turn out like 'The God Committee'... 5/10, wouldn't recommend watching it even once.

Loved it!

[braids-10242 · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Do not pay any attention to the negative reviews!.I usually take heed of the opinions of others before watching, glad I didn't!

The God Borefest

[TheTruthofItIs · 3/10 · 3 August 2021]

"The God Committee" was a boring, drawn out extended episode of "House" meets "Island of Dr Moreau" (sort of). This topic could've and should've been a fast-paced melodrama given the transplant deadline, instead it was an agonizingly slow paced indulgence of Kelsey's "Doctor Boxer" character. And none of the actors was even nice to look at except for Liz Masucci as "Holly Matson" who spent the movie in a hospital bed all beat up. So very disappointing, just add it to the Covid-era pile of rubbish out back.

More Plot, Tension, Twists, Drama Than 3 Biggest Movies Out Now

[imran-23 · 7/10 · 14 August 2021]

What a delightful experience. A movie with deeper characters, more plot, more tension, more emotion, more inspired performances than F9, Snake Eyes, and new Suicide Squad all combined. Must see.

Is there a 1/2 star rating

[hspiro-49063 · 1/10 · 13 July 2021]

Talented cast in such a dry and dull movie. Such a disappointment.

Excellent Acting

[swintern · 8/10 · 12 July 2021]

The casting in this movie is very smart. I haven't seen a bunch of these actors in a film in a long time (Kelsy Grammer, Janeane Garofalo, Julia Stiles) and they're all great playing characters you wouldn't expect them to. Grammer is especially fantastic as a brilliant surgeon who's broken to the core. The movie is pretty intense, but if you appreciate strong performances you will enjoy it.

Confronting Ethical Dilemmas in Organ Transplantation

[alzeem-34953 · 7/10 · 25 June 2023]

"The God Committee" is a drama film from 2021 directed by Austin Stark. It's based on a play by Mark St. Germain. The movie features Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, Colman Domingo, Janeane Garofalo and Dan Hedaya as part of a team who have to pick which of three patients gets a heart transplant in a New York hospital. The film also shows what happens seven years later and how their decision affects their lives and work.

The movie is interesting and full of suspense, making you think about the tough decisions that have to be made when it comes to organ donation. It makes you question who should get to live, how we decide what a life is worth, and what happens when we have to play God. The movie also shows the problems with the system, like not having enough resources, the role of money and power, and pressure from donors and those waiting for organs.

The movie has a great cast that give believable performances. Grammer is great as Dr. Boxer, a talented but cynical surgeon who has his own problems. Stiles is really good as Dr. Taylor, a hopeful and determined doctor who has to decide what's right and wrong. Domingo is moving as Father Dunbar, a kind and conflicted priest who starts to question his faith. Garofalo is convincing as Dr. Gilroy, a practical bureaucrat who tries to find a balance between the rules and real life. Hedaya stands out as Granger, a rich donor with hidden plans.

The film has some problems, like a complicated and overly dramatic story that switches between two timelines, some characters that are too predictable, and some scenarios that don't feel real. The film also doesn't tug at your heartstrings as much as it could, focusing more on the thought process of the issue instead of the emotional side.

"The God Committee" is a well-done film with great acting that deals with a difficult topic in a smart and honest way. It's not perfect or revolutionary, but it's a good film that will get you thinking and feeling.

How to ruin a good movie in the last 5 minutes

[carlos-pires · 1/10 · 27 July 2021]

This is a very interesting movie from start to... 5 minutes to the finish! OMFG!!! WTF?

It's so blatantly obvious that these guys were pressured in the last edit to turn what was a promising, sobering look upon life and how it is a relentless race against death, into a mushy, tear-jerking crap.

Those last 5 minutes are also a perfect illustration on how to ruin a movie with a terrible choice of background music. I could even excuse the close-up shot of the single mom hugging her child with Down Syndrome, if it wasn't for that disgusting ballad in the background.

What a terrible disappointment.

Entertaining but somewhat confusing

[jhr2012 · 6/10 · 14 January 2022]

Good movie that will hold your attention. However, the switching back and forth of the timeline is a bit hard to follow at times. Kelsey has hair, and in the next scene he doesn't; in the same scene they are talking about patients but you can't really tell if it's current day. Strange.

Kelsey does a great job. He plays a great a-hole character. If they ever do a movie about Trump, he would be great.