Claudio Carvalho Karly Hert (Katherine Heigl) is hired by the Braden-Andrews to work as pharmaceutical sales representative persuading doctors to prescribe drugs from Braden-Andrews. Karly feels a moral dilemma with her unethical job, but is seduced by the salary, car, bonus and benefits offered by the corporation.When Karly meets her former rep Zach Danner (Lucian McAfee), they fall in love with each other. Karly gives a schedule of six months to quit her job and she decides to be honest with the physicians. The result increases the market share of Braden-Andrews and Karly is promoted; receives a BMW as an upgrade; and lives a conflictive situation. When the anti-depressive Vivexx is approved by FDA, Karly finds that there are medical reports showing lever issues hidden by the industry. Karly is nominated by Braden-Adrews to the award Industry Rep of the Year and she needs to take a decision."Side Effects" is a low-budget movie about the American pharmaceutical industry that moves billions of dollars per year and occasionally hides side effects of some medicines using unethical doctors that are bribed to prescribe their medicines. Coincidently I saw "Love and Other Drugs" yesterday that has many similar situations.The plot romantically and ethically speaking gives a good message about the corrupted system. However, it is hard to believe on the story of Karly Hert, a young woman that climbs socially selling her soul to the Devil, and seeks redemption reporting the truth about a new medicine on the day that she reaches the top of her career with dedication.Both Karly and Zach have consciously worked in the pharmaceutical industry aware of how the system works, and Karly has paid her bills and Zach has raised his savings for his dreams using the industry. Therefore, she is totally disloyal with her employer and her last attitude is a total betrayal. Therefore she was also extremely unethical in her behavior exposing the inside information that she had the way she does. Does the end justify the means? My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Efeitos Colaterais" ("Side Effects")

HardCandyJane I am 100% behind the message being pushed in this film (i.e. that pharmaceutical companies put profit above patient health by attempting to change medical doctors' prescribing habits using unethical and manipulative means). Hang on. Just one moment. Isn't this movie trying to do the same thing to the viewer that pharmaceutical representatives do on a daily basis to doctors? Isn't this movie deceiving the viewer into thinking that they are about to watch a romantic comedy? With a tag-line like 'Love is a Drug' and cover artwork including 2 20-somethings in a coy pose, what is the potential viewer to think? And isn't the director an ex-pharmaceutical representative who would be well briefed on such manipulation techniques? Put simply, this director shows a complete lack of respect for the intelligence levels of her audience. Throughout the entire movie, I felt like a doctor who was trapped in her office by a pushy pharma rep. I would have been more receptive to the film if I had been aware that I was about to watch what is essentially propaganda.

diohdan The contents in the movie are largely accurate as far as how big pharma behaves and insist others to behave in the same way. The benefits are exceptionally high for big pharmaceutical representatives, along with a free company car with the benefit of working from your home. Rarely will a pharma rep work a full 8 hour a day, and that is allowed as long as you get your work done.What is bad is that on occasion a big pharma company may coerce illegal strategies developed by them to be implemented by such pharma reps. Most obey, because fear ensures loyalty.The creator of the movie is rather rare. Most big pharma reps avoid quesioning what they are told to do. But at times what they are instructed to implement may be harmful to the medical community.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Writer and Director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau draws from her 10 years of experience as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep and adds a touch of comedy and romance to make the point that there is a constant battle between Profit and Healthcare for the major drug companies. No real revelation there.What is at least interesting is her approach to telling the story. Katherine Heigl (from TV's "Grey's Anatomy") is perky and sparkles as the Sales Rep torn between the big paydays and her own personal integrity. It is not difficult to understand how one could be seduced into turning a deaf ear to the negative and instead buying into the corporate propaganda. Thousands of dollars in bonus checks and upgrades in company cars are just some of the perks that go along with playing the game.The issue I have is with the movie-making aspect of this film. It has the feel of a film project, not a quality independent film with an important message. The romantic comedy approach takes away from the expose' of the industry. All of the office politics could take place at Any Office, USA. Total frustration with one's job and company is commonplace in every single office building in the country. What makes the story different is the corporate level disregard for public safety in order to maximize profits. Not enough of the film dealt with this process.Michael Moore's next project centers on the Pharmaceutical world and my guess is it will provide many more questions on the entire industry than "Side Effects" has. I will also venture a guess and say that Mr. Moore's soundtrack will be nowhere near as cool as the "Side Effects" soundtrack!