I saw this movie late at night on cable. I was about to flip past it when I saw Don Cheadle (the man), so I gave it a chance. It is the story of Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who severely injures someone during a fight and is sent to a psychiatric facility to work on controlling his rage. There we meet several other "troubled teens", including painfully shy rape victim Tracy (Zooey Deschanel), a young boy who has secretly been molested by his father-and has begun doing the same to younger children, an artist who craves freedom and thinks depression fuels brilliance , a wannabe gangsta w/anger management problems, and a rich kid w/ manic depression. This story is told in such a natural style, its more like you are watching footage of a psych ward than watching a movie.
The ensemble cast was remarkable, with quietly convincing portrayals of their characters. Especially noteworthy (aside from Cheadle-that goes without saying) were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as Lyle and Tracy. Lyle's rage was always just beneath the surface. Even during the "happier" scenes, there was always underlying tension. His overwhelming emotions practically came through the screen. Deschanel, as Tracy, projected an air of fragility. Throughout the film, you could feel how Lyle was drawn to Tracy and how he needed to protect her. This made their argument scene almost too hard to watch. When he was so cruel to her and even became violent, it was a wake-up call to Lyle.
I also like the fact that there is no happy ending. The movie makes a point of showing that a person has to make the choice to get better. As with real emotional problems, the kids in this movie have set-backs, make progress, and one completely self-destructs.
I give this film a 9/10. The camera work was a little off-putting, but nothing major and definitely nothing worth missing this movie over!
The ensemble cast was remarkable, with quietly convincing portrayals of their characters. Especially noteworthy (aside from Cheadle-that goes without saying) were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as Lyle and Tracy. Lyle's rage was always just beneath the surface. Even during the "happier" scenes, there was always underlying tension. His overwhelming emotions practically came through the screen. Deschanel, as Tracy, projected an air of fragility. Throughout the film, you could feel how Lyle was drawn to Tracy and how he needed to protect her. This made their argument scene almost too hard to watch. When he was so cruel to her and even became violent, it was a wake-up call to Lyle.
I also like the fact that there is no happy ending. The movie makes a point of showing that a person has to make the choice to get better. As with real emotional problems, the kids in this movie have set-backs, make progress, and one completely self-destructs.
I give this film a 9/10. The camera work was a little off-putting, but nothing major and definitely nothing worth missing this movie over!