Brilliant film but...

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2007)

For me, this film is very tough to rate because the book is one of my all-time favourites. So let's be fair, Nicholson gives an excellent performance as McMurphy, his chemistry with the other actors is great and really gets you, the viewer, on his side with his likable persona. The supporting cast also gives a strong performance, providing the perfect pitch of crazy that is required and Nurse Ratched providing an instantly unlikable presence. So, if i had seen this film without reading the book i would probably be able to give it a higher mark but...well now the problem begins because, you see, the novel is perfect and the film is not wholly true to the novel. The major thing that really bothered me right from the beginning was Nicholson. Nicholson could never be McMurphy truly because he just does not have the physical presence that is required for a rugged street fighter type, it was a battle he could never win. The other problem for me was that the darker side of McMurphy wasn't shown as well as it could have been, meaning that the character could (and should) have had more depth. Chief Brompton was cast perfectly though (his character could have been given more attention though). So in summary, great film, see it...but read the book first, even if it blights the film, its worth it!