gavin6942
Peter Winter is a young schizophrenic who is desperately trying to get his daughter back from her adoptive family. He attempts to function in a world that, for him, is filled with strange voices, electrical noise, disconcerting images, and jarringly sudden emotional shifts.I do not believe this is a very well-known film. I say this because despite it being released by the prestigious Criterion Collection, it was not a title I was familiar with. And I like to think I know movies. (maybe this is naiveté.) Although this went under the radar, I think it deserves a look by anyone who is interested in mental illness, especially as depicted on film. This is not sappy, or starring Sean Penn, or anything we might expect from Hollywood. this is a serious attempt to show the problems the mentally ill face... and it does not leave room for too much happiness.
pyromanticways
Astonishing movie! Every sound, repeating quite unconsciously through the film; every strong image; names, words said... everything makes sense in the very end of this incredibly high strung display of human sensitiveness. It starts willfully confusing, just to perfectly end up shattering every apparently right impression, the main characters might have made!Some of the atmospheres reminded me of Henry: portrait of a killer. Something else, may slightly anticipate the feel of Cronenberg's Spider.I'd suggest this film to artists, or simply sensitive people, who don't fear heavy grey skies; blood; true feelings that aren't just right or wrong; to scan a tormented soul. Enjoy.
ro6ot
sorry, this isn't a Hollywood movie about schizophrenia, its not a killer/thriller, its not a gross~out picture, and its not boring. Not being schizophrenic myself i can't attest to the strict accuracy of the impression one is left with. All I can say for sure is that this is without question one of the most strangely beautiful, compassionate, powerful pieces of art i have ever seen.The story is ultimately incredibly frustrating and deeply tragic, much like the life of its protagonist; poignant and scary start to finish. the cinematography captures the absurd beauty of the natural world and juxtaposes it with the terrifying strangeness of feeling utterly disconnected therefrom. Peter suffers from random auditory hallucinations, so we do to. He is deeply paranoid and almost utterly lost in the world; its clear someone is out to get him, and we are never sure whether he actually hurt anyone or not.If you want to be spoon~fed something you've already experienced many times before, this isn't the movie for you. But if you appreciate being challenged, forced even, to see the world through a very different lens, you should really see this movie if you haven't already.
guzzardmg
I rented this movie a few years ago, and fell in love with it. Peter Greene steps out of his normal "tough, bad guy" Hollywood roles to play a sensitive father handicapped by schizophrenia.He is recently released from a hospital and reuniting with his daughter becomes his main focus.Unfortunately, we soon learn that its hard for him to focus as sweet hope soon turns tragic. All he wants is to be a good father, something his ailment makes him incapable of. I love the way the director visualizes the schizophrenic moments. If you are looking for something off the beaten path I highly recommend it. 10/10stars
AD
