Great performances in an unsatisfying melodrama

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2001)

Although I haven't read the book, it's clear director Mangold's attempt to adapt it is sincere. Unfortunately the movie lacks spirit, is overly sentimental and relies far too heavily on the late-sixties setting to deliver its highly personal message. If indeed there IS a message, as for the most part it seems nothing more than a collection of fragmented ramblings from the diary of the main character, writer Susanna Kaysen (Ryder). Commentary on the deleted scenes on the DVD version include Mangold's admission that scenes from the novel simply don't translate well to the screen, a point that perhaps can be made to many scenes that didn't wind up on the cutting-room floor also.
It's left to the principals to save the film, and fortunately they do so in good style. Jolie is mesmerising and catlike, shifting from a purr to a snarl in the blink of an eye. She's the perfect foil to Ryder's doe-eyed protagonist, and a great deal of enjoyment can be taken by simply seeing them together on screen. Jolie's destructive character Lisa threatens to drag down all those around her, in particular the vulnerable Kaysen. It's a career defining turn, easily deserving of the Oscar. Ryder is as accomplished as always, you just assume a great performance from her so she never appears to excel.
The movie looks and sounds beautiful, particularly in the early scenes when Kaysen's mind is wandering. It's a shame the style settles in to nothing more than an unsatisfying melodrama, and ends with an embarrassingly weak confrontation between the two leads.