Possibly the best film ever..........for me anyway.

Rating: Null/10 (3 April 2000)

I had been waiting anxiously for this to be released in Britain and then finally last week it was released and I got to see the finished product. Having read the book almost 6 months before watching the film, I had some idea of what to expect. Winona Ryder was already my fave actress a long time before this movie but watching this has only made me respect and admire her work even more. The film starts off great - with Winonas voice doing the narrative bit and her words really hit home. I myself have suffered from mental problems and so I could really relate to what she was saying. It is a little frustrating at times - I didnt like the way it kept showing you flashbacks and at times it got a bit confusing, but that only added to the overall feeling of the film. Clea Duvall is amazing as pathological liar Georgina, Brittany Murphy sensational as the chicken loving Daisy and Elizabeth Murphy wonderful as the little girl in so much distress that she set herself on fire. Even the small roles of MG and janet are played amazingly. However it is of course Winona and Angelina who steal the show as mad bad sociopath Lisa and vulnerable nervous little susanna. Angelina is truly fantastic and does indeed deserve all the recognition she is getting for her role. I was soooo pleased to see her win the oscar and she is an amazing actress and steals the show in every film I have ever seen her in, but I cant help but think that she has kind of stolen Winonas thunder slightly. The film is, primarily about Sussann - Winonas character and Winona does a great job. Her role does not have the edge that Angelinas has, but Winona plays her role just perfectly. Her facial expressions tell you so much - you know what shes thinking before shes even said it because of them and the bit where she has a go at Whoopis character was fantastic!!! I read where Winona has said that if you dont like her then you wont like the film , because most of the time the camera is just on her face, and I agree with that. I think anyone who doesnt like this film doesnt like Winona and thats the only reason why they dont like the film. It has some fantastic bits - my fave being where susanna and lisa sing Downtown to Polly - it was so sweet! and near the end when Sussanna paints Lisas finger nails. My only complaint is that there were bits in the film that were differant to the book and some bits in the film you wouldnt really understand unless you read the book. So for anyone who hasnt read the book - I would do so immediately. Of course although all the actresses were amazing and gave the perfomances of their lives there is one person whom people seem to be forgetting about completely - SUSSANNA KAYSEN. That woman is so emensly brave to have wrote her story and let it be made into a film for the world to see. Thanks to Sussanna Kaysen people are finally accepting mental illness for what it is - an illness and thanks to Winona this film got made because if she hadnt pushed for it to have been made it would never have happened. All the actresses in the film are going to go on to great things I know and I hope that Winona will continue to make such wonderful movies. Just one last thing .......Why on earth did she not get nominated as best actress for her role? A crime has most surely been committed there. Anyway along with SET IT OFF - this has to be my fave movie of all times. After all I am going to see it again tomorrow for the 5th time!!!!!