365 Movies - #1 Manic (2001)
This film is a story about Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) spending his days in a psychiatric facility after one anger out-burst in which he almost killed his bully. In this place, he comes to interact with other teenage patients and their mental problems.
At first it was really hard for me to concentrate on the film because of the camera shake. For about 1/3 of the film, I got used to it and things turned out just right. I like how the camera got really intimate with the characters. Loads full of ECU, especially on the eyes. And camera moving nonstop which really helps in creating the mood of the movie. I don’t like the coloring though. The color is documentary type and looks really raw. Maybe it’s what the director aimed for.
The acting is superb, the casting is superb. Everyone looks as real as it can get. There isn’t any glitch or times that you think the characters are going overboard. They do extreme stuffs but still make it look as if it was something normal in that situation. One of the best performances of Joseph (There’s not a lot of Zooey to give proper comment on but she’s great too.)
Despite all the little things I don’t quite like in the techniques, this movie still ticks my soft spot so much. It reminds me of the teenage years full of frustration and rage. All the feelings pour out of the screen enormously. What they talk in the movie is real. There’s always a rage within you, it will never go away but instead of running away from it, we have to learn how to live with it as life goes on.
Rate: 4/5
