Manic is an independent film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, and Don Cheadle. It carries a unique aesthetic, and while isn’t a must see, it will open your eyes to the issues of mental illness.
The theme of this film is mental illness, a topic that is way too personal for me to commentate on professionally. Manic is about Lyle, a troubled teenager and his time in the children’s psychiatric ward, “psych ward”. Most hospitals usually have a children’s and an adult’s psych ward. The two are not allowed to intermingle. Manic follows Lyle and staff member, Dr. Monroe during Lyle’s stay.
It is an independent film which means it was not filmed at a studio or with a big budget. The acting in the film is decent. It is not top notch like Brad Pitt’s acting of a completely wild character in Twelve Monkeys. The cinematography however has a pleasing aesthetic with its colors and peculiarity. The plot isn’t that great, it seems to drag in certain places. I think it could have been edited more.
I believe the makers of Manic got lost. The information shown in Manic is authentic in many psychiatric hospitals in the United States, even though it is very close to exaggeration. The information that is shown in Manic shows that the makers of Manic had some close ties with the psychiatric environment. The message or point of Manic isn’t ever made clear. Are the makers trying to show the ills of the mental health care system? Are they trying to show its audience what adolescent mental illness looks like? What exactly are they trying to show?
It tends to make you think, but most of the population doesn’t like to think, in my opinion. Therefore, the independence of the film, if you can’t think, or aren’t interested, don’t watch.
It’s not quite a pleasant cup of coffee, or brilliantly written, but a nice aesthetic. It’s a film that somewhere along the way, lost its way.
However, if you enjoy Joseph Gordon-Levitt, his performance is not prime, but good. Don Cheadle on the other hand is brilliant in this film. As you can see, if you saw (500) Days of Summer, Joseph has come a long way.
3.5/5
But that is expected, mental illness is complicated. No one knows how to “fix” it. If you dwell too long on it and are “sane” you risk your sanity. It is a difficult topic to address. But kudos to Manic for trying to cover it.
It’s very, unique, and it will make you think, if you want to. It is subjective, very artistic: in other words, discover the meaning yourself. Manic is the definition of film as art.
Don’t expect a Hollywood flick, because it isn’t. It’s for people who are lovers of independent film, art, or want to try something new.
