The story follows a New York Public Radio reporter named Isaac Knott (Stahl) who has been in a wheelchair since he was eight years old. When he receives a tip that able bodied folks are attempting to have their legs removed, he begins his own investigation only to uncover a weird underworld where people can only feel whole when they are literally broken.
Sounds a little like Cronenberg's "Crash," right? Except this time what turns people on is amputation instead of car crashes. If only the trailer looked more like "Crash" or "Eastern Promises" I would be onboard, but you know when you see a trailer that wants to tell you the story instead of showing it to you? This is one of those trailers, and it almost never bodes well for the film's content. I think they even reveal their big plot 'twist' near the end – Ooopps!
Yes, Farmiga looks kind of hot in her bustier and prosthetic legs and yes, the movie looks well-crafted, but for such provocative subject matter it also feels a bit spiritless and dull. Magnolia, the company handling "Quid Pro Quo's" distribution, describes the film as a 'modern noir' detective tale. I must have missed that part – unless they were talking about the woman known only as "Ancient Chinese Girl" – does that name count as thrilling? On second thought no. Just kind of out of place and odd.
"Quid Pro Quo" is rated R and will have a limited release on June 13, 2008. For HD click here.