Hugh Grant steps away from his lovable-twit persona to take on a more serious role in this, the first of what will be many big-screen attempts to grab a piece of the ER action. Grant stars as a brilliant and well-coifed young surgeon who hops on the trail of some shady goings-on after treating a mysteriously ailing patient. This eventually leads him to Gene Hackman, a brilliant and balding older surgeon who may have found a way to cure paralysis by experimenting on the homeless. While Extreme Measures is competently directed by Michael Apted, and is never really boring, it's nothing we haven't seen before. And though it attempts to make an important point about the value of life, by the end viewers will only be reminded that they are two fruitless hours closer to the grave.