DIRECTED BY: James Mangold WRITTEN BY: Susanna Kaysen (book) and James Mangold CAST: Winona Ryder, Angelina Joilie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy
MPAA: Rated R for strong language and content relating to drugs, sexuality and suicide. Runtime: USA:127
RATING: 7/10
"When you don't want to feel anything, death sounds like a blessing". - Susanna, "GIRL, INTERRUPTED"
Susanna (Wiona Ryder ) is a girl, like any girl; living in a town, like any town. She is eighteen and is like most teenagers - confused, angry, scared. But there is something about her that makes you wonder. She has a gift. She is the philosopher of her time, with her own view at life and society. Her dream is writing and her wish is sharing her doubts, fears and feelings with someone. But no one listens. No body cares. She is not like everyone else. And therefore she is crazy. Before long, she is transmitted to a mental institution, where she can get excellent care. Here she meets people that are, like herself, different. And though the personnel tries to help, they see them only as patients and not for who they are as persons. There is Giorgina (), the 'pathological liar', Polly, who wants to be a child forever and Lisa (Angelina Joilie) - the rebellious lioness. Trapped and helpless, Susanna begins to wonder about her situation. What's really wrong with her? Is she really crazy? Is it the sixties? Or maybe she is just a girl, interrupted.
Original? No, but nevertheless it makes a powerful emotional impact. The story is not structured in chronological order. It jumps back and forth in time and space, and we learn about Susanna's past from her memories. Most of the time the film resembles Milos Forman's "One Flew Over The Cocoo's Nest". It is a meditation on life, society and human mind. It is a story about the courage and power of being different. It is a fable about what it means to be brilliant. The first half of the film is inspiring and is intelligent enough to stand on its own feet, without being embarrassed. Another complementary element in James Mangold's picture is characters. Every character is a mystery, and most of the time the patients are trying to unlock the doors to each others minds. The problems start emerging in the second half of the film, where it is time for the director to tie loose ends and elegantly end his fable. And this is a disappointing effort. All its mysteries are revealed in the most obvious and primitive way. No dark secrets remain. Nothing is left to our imagination and thought. And what felt like a fresh breath of originality, disappears completely. Acting is the only thing that remains constant during these 127 minutes. Wiona Ryder is impressive. There are no flaws in her delicately controlled performance. But the real acting skills are provided by Angelina Joilie. She puts on a performance that make you remember Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cucoo's Nest". But unlike Ryder, who goes as far as the somewhat dry script unfolds, Joilie stretches it and goes beyond, making the words her own. There is some original improvisations in her wonderfully energetic performance, that really pay off. The rest of the cast is nice, but their screen time is limited and there is not much they can do with their small parts. The technical aspect of the film is mediocre, with Jack N. Green's dry cinematography and Kevin Tent's traditional editing. This is probably the oldest looking film of the year. In the end the film feels called interesting. The frightening themes about control and mental breakdown are almost avoided and it seems like the creators didn't come up with any interesting updates since Forman has created his legendary picture. It is a cliché, and yet there is something that prevents you from taking your eyes from the screen. There is some kind of a bizarre connection. And even when you know what's going to emerge from the corner, when you know exactly what will happen, you feel surprised, amazed and moved. I can't really explain that, but my guess is that it touches emotions and thoughts that are so basic, so deep and important, that it simply demands attention. Will it be remembered? No. It resembles the countless 'true stories' that you can watch at home on your TV set. But for those who enjoy a good cry, this is the perfect choice.
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