Fascinating, but depressing...

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2000)

To my surprise, "Girl, Interrupted" was one of the better movies I've seen in 1999, but it's not exactly what you call a "feel-good" movie. When I left the theatre, I felt rather depressed, which shows that the film had an effect on me.
Many critics have compared this film to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", while the only similarity in the two films is its setting. "Girl" takes a life of its own, and becomes a fascinating character study of a young woman trying to live life how she wants to live it. Winona Ryder gives one of her strongest performances as Susanna Kaysen, while Angelina Jolie is brilliant as the sociopath Lisa. Though Ryder and Jolie are the two central characters in the film (with the scene-chewing performances), there are several other supporting characters that we learn to sympathize with as the film progresses.
Though there isn't much Oscar buzz for this one (except for Jolie's performance), I think that Ryder should at least get an Oscar nomination for her daring, original performance. It's been a while since I've seen her do something this good. 8/10