Not Bad. Not Great.

Rating: 7/10 (18 January 2008)

Angelina Jolie won a rightfully deserved Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance alongside Winona Ryder in this drama which documents a period of time in which a young woman experiences life in an insane asylum.
Winona is Sussana Kasan, based on the real life author who wrote her autobiography about her experiences at the institution. Winona is particularly good in her role and she showcases some of her better talents here than her showy performance in "The Crucible", another film she's mostly remembered for. When Sussana is locked away after an attempted suicide, she befriends the other girls, including sociopath Lisa (Jolie) and digs deep inside herself for answers.
It's just a tad bit clichéd and the movie runs painfully long. Sussana's resolution is clear: she's not crazy, she just has to find her inner self. Ho hum.
Angelina Jolie is really excellent as Lisa and she makes the movie, plus Whoopi Goldberg is entertaining in her side role as a warden with attitude. All of the performances and a deep, above average script make this film depressing and uplifting, and it truly does have some meaning, but overall it takes too long to get to the point.