Serious cinema lovers: do not let the famous names put you off

Rating: 7/10 (7 September 2003)

Having seen  or partially seen  a few of Whoopie Goldberg's attempts at light-hearted Saturday mid-day fare, I almost did not get settled down for this one. I might well have passed it over as another one of those films which are vulgarly called `chic-flics', seeing such illustrious names as Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie also in the cast. Maybe it was seeing Vanessa Redgrave's name that persuaded me into watching it; I do not know. But whatever I might have been presupposing, I was definitely rather mistaken.
This is a pretty serious film: All the main actresses already named above, as well as Clea Duvall, Brittany Murphy and so on all down the list, turned in excellent performances, with both Ms. Ryder and Ms. Jolie standing out in the main roles.
Based on Susanna Kaysen's book of true experiences in the sixties, James Mangold directed and adapted for screenplay this film, which, almost inevitably, makes us remember and almost obliges us into comparing it with `One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', if only because this film is also focussed on life in a mental institution. However, the two films are considerably different. Mangold has worked well on this one, giving just the right angle on the subject matter, and focussing intelligently on characterisation, such that the resulting drama is greatly satisfying. The clashing and fusing of personalities on screen is highly aware and sensitive, which somewhat excludes any ideas of going over the top, though younger viewers  I say under about 30-35  might not agree. Careful analysis of personalities evidently went into the making up of the story-line, and in this respect, Mangold has done a really good job.
I would definitely see this film again; as I have already said elsewhere, I like films which seem to have been adapted from a stage-play, with emphasis on characteriology and useful dialogues. In this, `Girl, Interrupted' scores well for me. A good drama to get your teeth into.