A tale of flawed people

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2007)

It's a story about crazy people who are not really that crazy. Things aren't what they seem in the mental institution that R.P. Murphy (Jack Nicholson) ends up in. I guess I could praise the acting, but it's hard to say that it's hard to act too crazy. Then again, maybe it is. The players were effective in their roles though. Especially Louis Fletcher as Nurse Ratched.
Never have I seen such a powerful obvious villain so well disguised. I mean, you know you're not supposed to like her from the moment she comes in dressed in black, in stark contrast to the white walls of the mental institution. Yet, her actions and dialogue are so diplomatic that I think a lesser actor wouldn't have been able to pull off the evil inside her soul.
This is a pretty depressing film at times, but there are also moments of fun as well. In the end, it's really hard to talk about this film in any solid way. It's complex, but also simple. R.P. Murphy is a particularly complicated character and despite his many flaws, you have to root for him.
It's a film that I would seriously recommend. It's good. But don't watch if you don't like tragedies. 8/10.