Girl, Interrupted Review
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Cast: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie.
Based On Book: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (1993)
Screenplay By: James Mangold, Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan.
Girl, Interrupted is a movie based on the same titled book of memoirs written by Susanna Kaysen, based in the late 60's. The book is actually based on true events of Susanna's life and therefore she is one of the main characters, which is portrayed by Winona Ryder alongside Angelina Jolie as the beautifully broken; Lisa Rowe. This movie shows Susanna as she inattentively checks herself into Claymoore Hospital after taking an overdose of aspirin, constantly denying the accusations that it was a suicide attempt. Susanna at first unhappy in the hospital still/slowly befriends other patients suffering from mental illness' that cause them to; pathologically lie, hurt themselves in shocking ways as young children and even hide chicken (which is shown as dark representation of more than a father). The main patient that Susanna meets Lisa; a diagnosed sociopath, is the friend that hits the hardest, with adventure, cryptic words and a broken head. As you follow these girls struggle with themselves, and Lisa, in the hospital you also get flashed back into Susanna's teenage life before the overdose, showing her then and now, a constant downfall. This movie has heart to hearts and confrontation that makes this film great
Now I didn't write too much in the plot because this movie is very close to me and I would prefer to describe and analyse it separately to truly feel like I did it justice and got my message about this movie through to you.
The movie is mainly based around Claymoore Mental Hospital, with is actually a made up institution, the movie was filmed around Pennsylvania and Harrisburg State Hospital was used. Location is an obvious topic within this film, with cold plain walls, white beds and bedding, bars on the windows, etc. Even when the patients are taken out for the day for ice cream there is snow everywhere, which still gives it that subtle chill, cold feeling. Lighting would be a better thing to express as the climax of the movie is filmed extremely dark, in an almost tunnel like basement under the hospital. From that you see Susanna leave the hospital with the sun subtly shining through the trees, giving it a lighter feel and her face and smile this slight colour, that I feel shows an emotion close to relief or even acceptance.
This movie is classed within the Drama genre and I agree with that, I also feel like this film gave a whole new perspective on the genre. This being said the movie was filmed in a way I find successfully personal. This movie represented the genre at an extremely high level and I hope back in 1999, people competed to create projects at or higher than that level because otherwise both genre and Girl, Interrupted are almost a little let down.
Talking of higher levels the talent in this film is extraordinary, it's difficult to portray someone like Lisa Rowe's character especially, I mentioned before about her being broken but she is definitely more than head strong alongside this. To portray a woman both broken and willing, strong and weak, sadistic and understanding, is not only challenging but can be draining for the actor themselves; Angelina did not just show how immense her talent is, she also didn't flinch doing it. Winona also yet again played her character brilliantly, Susanna has many emotions and holds them in, only really letting anything out through sex and writing in her journal, she plays someone who almost looks more humane in comparison to some of the other patients. However, eventually characters like that will crack and the actor needs to be able to switch from one emotion to the next both subtly and obviously which all actors did. Very realistic and almost heart wrenching performances.
Now I usually tell you bad points about the movie in this section, however I fear I have fallen too much in love with this movie over the years to judge any flaws. So I talked to a good friend of mine (Harriet Dale) who has also read the book and almost lives for this film, who expressed to me about the book and movie being close to different, too different. Now this is a true story and I question should it have stayed more than true to the book or has it just shown us enough, enough to understand, sympathise and relate? The answer is different for all of us.
Speaking of different answers, etc, I mentioned above about you seeing my message about this movie, I cannot really tell you one except you must see this film. You can love it or hate it, but you definitely will not forget it, it's too real, it's almost scary. My point of this paragraph is I want you to reach out to this movie because no matter how you feel about it, you'll get a message from it, a different message from it than I did and I feel you need to find that message at some point in your life because it's too darkly hypnotising to ignore.
Fall in love with insanity, fall in love with these characters, fall in love with it's reality or do what I did and simply fall in love with Winona Ryder!
My Rating: 9/10
VF
Cast: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie.
Based On Book: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (1993)
Screenplay By: James Mangold, Lisa Loomer, Anna Hamilton Phelan.
Girl, Interrupted is a movie based on the same titled book of memoirs written by Susanna Kaysen, based in the late 60's. The book is actually based on true events of Susanna's life and therefore she is one of the main characters, which is portrayed by Winona Ryder alongside Angelina Jolie as the beautifully broken; Lisa Rowe. This movie shows Susanna as she inattentively checks herself into Claymoore Hospital after taking an overdose of aspirin, constantly denying the accusations that it was a suicide attempt. Susanna at first unhappy in the hospital still/slowly befriends other patients suffering from mental illness' that cause them to; pathologically lie, hurt themselves in shocking ways as young children and even hide chicken (which is shown as dark representation of more than a father). The main patient that Susanna meets Lisa; a diagnosed sociopath, is the friend that hits the hardest, with adventure, cryptic words and a broken head. As you follow these girls struggle with themselves, and Lisa, in the hospital you also get flashed back into Susanna's teenage life before the overdose, showing her then and now, a constant downfall. This movie has heart to hearts and confrontation that makes this film great
Now I didn't write too much in the plot because this movie is very close to me and I would prefer to describe and analyse it separately to truly feel like I did it justice and got my message about this movie through to you.
The movie is mainly based around Claymoore Mental Hospital, with is actually a made up institution, the movie was filmed around Pennsylvania and Harrisburg State Hospital was used. Location is an obvious topic within this film, with cold plain walls, white beds and bedding, bars on the windows, etc. Even when the patients are taken out for the day for ice cream there is snow everywhere, which still gives it that subtle chill, cold feeling. Lighting would be a better thing to express as the climax of the movie is filmed extremely dark, in an almost tunnel like basement under the hospital. From that you see Susanna leave the hospital with the sun subtly shining through the trees, giving it a lighter feel and her face and smile this slight colour, that I feel shows an emotion close to relief or even acceptance.
This movie is classed within the Drama genre and I agree with that, I also feel like this film gave a whole new perspective on the genre. This being said the movie was filmed in a way I find successfully personal. This movie represented the genre at an extremely high level and I hope back in 1999, people competed to create projects at or higher than that level because otherwise both genre and Girl, Interrupted are almost a little let down.
Talking of higher levels the talent in this film is extraordinary, it's difficult to portray someone like Lisa Rowe's character especially, I mentioned before about her being broken but she is definitely more than head strong alongside this. To portray a woman both broken and willing, strong and weak, sadistic and understanding, is not only challenging but can be draining for the actor themselves; Angelina did not just show how immense her talent is, she also didn't flinch doing it. Winona also yet again played her character brilliantly, Susanna has many emotions and holds them in, only really letting anything out through sex and writing in her journal, she plays someone who almost looks more humane in comparison to some of the other patients. However, eventually characters like that will crack and the actor needs to be able to switch from one emotion to the next both subtly and obviously which all actors did. Very realistic and almost heart wrenching performances.
Now I usually tell you bad points about the movie in this section, however I fear I have fallen too much in love with this movie over the years to judge any flaws. So I talked to a good friend of mine (Harriet Dale) who has also read the book and almost lives for this film, who expressed to me about the book and movie being close to different, too different. Now this is a true story and I question should it have stayed more than true to the book or has it just shown us enough, enough to understand, sympathise and relate? The answer is different for all of us.
Speaking of different answers, etc, I mentioned above about you seeing my message about this movie, I cannot really tell you one except you must see this film. You can love it or hate it, but you definitely will not forget it, it's too real, it's almost scary. My point of this paragraph is I want you to reach out to this movie because no matter how you feel about it, you'll get a message from it, a different message from it than I did and I feel you need to find that message at some point in your life because it's too darkly hypnotising to ignore.
Fall in love with insanity, fall in love with these characters, fall in love with it's reality or do what I did and simply fall in love with Winona Ryder!
My Rating: 9/10
VF
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