A case of mistaken identity or assuming an identity are always choice topics for psychologically driven character studies and/or psychological thrillers. "Paper Mask" is about a certain kind of young British man who pushes himself to assume an identity, though we never understand why or what he is truly getting out of it. Think of the amoral main protagonist, Matthew Harris, as a Tom Ripley-type.
From the start, something feels askew about Matthew (Paul McGann), a hospital orderly with bigger aspirations. Matthew hangs with his other orderly friends at pubs and sees a world where doctors have the women and are more economically secure. Matthew wants a piece of that and when a certain Dr. Hennessy is with Matthew's ex and they get into a car accident, chance seems to present itself. Hennessy dies, the girl lives, and Matthew decides to assume Hennessy's identity (he doesn't get the girl back). He applies for a job as a doctor in a hospital in Bristol, specifically the casualty (emergency) department, where he diagnoses and administers care to patients with injuries and medical issues that go beyond his limited knowledge. Matthew may have been studying medical books in his spare time, prior to Hennessy's death, but he is no doctor and he knows it. His first day is a disaster, and so is his second. Casualty nurses like the sympathetic Christine (Amanda Donohoe) know that doctors hitting the books without the hands-on practice are a dime a dozen (no one is aware that Matthew is not a doctor). Somehow the deceit continues and he improves while learning on the job (he practices doing stitches on a piece of clothing).
"Paper Mask" is about that level of deceit and how long Matthew can keep fooling them all. He eventually admits the truth to Christine of whom he has a romantic relationship with. Matthew keeps his past hidden (he throws a parental gift, a watch, down the toilet) and Christine keeps pursuing him for some semblance of emotion and insight. The truth is that Matthew is a cipher, a man of no special ability other than using his charm to deceive, but to what end? The senior Dr. Thorn (the always exceptional Tom Wilkinson) is skeptical of Hennessy and was not keen with his other colleagues who unanimously hired him. Thorn rightfully deduces that Hennessy doesn't have the necessary empathy and patience to be a doctor.
The movie runs into some potboiler-ish thriller elements when one of Matthew's orderly friends (Jimmy Yuill) gets a position at the same hospital - the last thing Matthew needs is for his own cover to be blown. A psychological character study would allow fate to come in and crush Matthew, his lies and the world around him. As it develops, "Paper Mask" aims to be a Ripley tale of murderous impulses whereas the deceit itself would've been ample. As written by John Collee, the author of the book this is based on, my heart sank a tad when it went into this thriller terrain. I don't exactly mind the thriller mechanics but since the character is a cipher and has no real inner life, the result is the depiction is nothing more than some charismatic guy who wants to be a doctor (at one point, he almost leaves the hospital because he can't handle it). Fascinating and occasionally horrifying nonetheless with expert performances by all (Donohoe truly shines as always), "Paper Mask" is one of those films where an expanded running time would've helped. I think I now trust doctors even less.
