At the 36th annual Cleveland International Film Festival Lance Daly’s The Good Doctor (2011) was highlighted as one of the top must-sees. Dr. Martin Ploeck (Orlando Bloom) is a self-indulgent resident doctor who has convinced himself practicing medicine has all to do with society’s due respect and the adoring women (which we figured those perks were at least a tiny part of it). His odd behavior and narcissistic tendencies are harmless in the beginning, and are even taken as somewhat humorous, but things take a dramatic turn as he grows closer to one of his patients Diane Nixon (Riley Keough).The 18 year-old is suffering a rare kidney infection and is being forced a bed-ridden extended stay, allowing time for her and Dr. Martin’s relationship to become somewhat intimate. As Diane’s sickness winds down and the time comes for her to leave, Dr. Martin takes unexpected extremes to ensure he will see Diane again, resulting in him putting people’s lives on the line and driving himself into a sick obsession.

The Good Doctor features an exceptional performance by Orlando Bloom and shows just how much people can be suckered into a person’s ascribed status, in this case, Dr. Martin’s title as a residential doctor. That no matter how guilty someone is, their front will have people fully convinced that their delusions of reality are in fact the truth; they will even talk themselves into believing these “truths,” too.

(photo via Robert E. Hall)