A thoughtful, touching and excellent film

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2011)

A steadily paced but utterly absorbing story about a troubled 18 year Susanna Kaysen, subtlety played by Winona Ryder, whose experience at a psychiatric hospital l in the 1967 makes a real impression. While Ryder was also a producer on the film and worked very hard to get the film made, it plays as an involving ensemble piece with lot of actors getting a chance to shine, most notably Whoopi Goldberg as Nurse Valerie Owens, the late Brittany Murphy as the abused Daisy Randone and Angelina Jolie as sociopathic long time patient Lisa Rowe, for which she won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
The film, while working from a strong script by Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan and director James Mangold, uses the experiences of the real-life Susanna Kaysen (who was also a producer on the film) from her novel. This film deals with the issue of mental health, and Mangold makes a brave decision to try and make the film as accessible as possible for a mainstream audience. While some critics have claimed that the film is overtly sanitised, it is very unlikely that a more gritty approach would led to the film being green lit on a $25-30 million budget.
Performances are all understated but very real, with the notable exception of Jolie's character, who is very confrontational and direct. Kudos must go to all the cast including Goldberg, Murphy, DuVall, Moss, Tambor, and very effective cameos from Kurtwood Smith and Vanessa Redgrave. This is the real achievement of the film. The characters remain grounded and real within the context of the story, and the performers, under the expert and thoughtful guidance of director James Mangold generate warmth and interest that allows the viewer, providing you are patient (pun not intended), to invest in, and care for the characters. Jolie turns in a very charismatic and intense performance, and is one her best performances in my opinion, up there with her performance in Beyond Borders and the Changeling. However, Ryder is the ultimate anchor of the film, and in this regard she succeeds magnificently. One of her real strengths is her ability to tell a story non-verbally. At the start of the film, she clearly communicates to the audience her character being a lonely lost soul, who is initially horrified about going to psychiatric hospital, but nevertheless bonds with the fellow patients. Another strength is that Ryder's character begins to move in a direction which implies she is becoming dependant on the hospital, and her character develops rebellious tendencies, clearly inspired by the character's attraction to Jolie's Lisa. The conflict her character goes through with other characters as a result of this relationship works very well and leads to a satisfying and grounded climax that tries very hard to not be too sentimental or stereotypical.
Technical credits are understated but impressive. Mangold's direction is spot on, and he makes clever use of match cuts to transition the story, but also to inform the audience of the lead character's disorientated psychological state. Design, costumes, photography and music are all very effective and contribute to a really polished and well-made film. The film captures the atmosphere of 1967/8 America very well, yet this does not dominate the story, which in many ways feels timeless and totally accessible for a modern audience.
In summary, an excellent achievement that is a sensitive yet accessible film about an individual dealing with difficult but common real life problems.