bambi_eyes
Mad Love success is formally down to the leads Drew Barrymore and Chris O' Donnell. Their chemistry together, their development, twists and turns make you genuinely care about the characters.If that's the only reason you see the film then go right ahead.The subject of Bi-Polar is sensitively approached under the direction of Antonia Bird and I can honestly say that this is one of my favourite coming - of age dramas and made me fall in love with both Barrymore and O'Donnell and follow along on their incredible journey together.Some may guffaw at the cinematography, it is a fairly old film but the most important thing is the story and the acting which remain strong throughout.
howie73
This film feels like an indie set-up but the mainstream stars (Chris O'Donnel and Drew Barrymore) give it a false sense of Hollywood glamour. Donnel's character is as bland as a blancmange, leaving Barrymore to seize centre stage in an even yet watchable performance as a depressed young woman. The problem with the film is we never know why she suffers. Not much is revealed about her parents or her upbringing. The film seems to have lost its way. what should have been a quirky indie film is spoiled by an obtrusive rock soundtrack that mocks the serious subject at hand. The cinematography is pretty poor too. All in all, a wasted opportunity for all concerned.
Pepper Anne
Mad Love probably generated as much of a viewer ship as it did because of the likability of the two principal, Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell. I never thought of the movie as anything special, and figured that this would probably survive obscurity by fans of the cast or those who appreciate a decent dreamy romantic drama every now again, for which it is quite abundant.O'Donnell, though never a spectacular lead, carries well himself well as the good-natured, soft-spoken high school teen, Matt Leland. Upon meeting flamboyant, rule-breaker Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore, working with the type of characters that always seem to suit her), Leland falls in love with the rather tragic character and goes through one of those earmarked defiances and coming-of-age experiences. That is because Casey is an emotionally unstable character because she is bipolar.As their relationship furthers, free-spirited Casey grows rather obsessive in the relationship and a bit too detached from reality. After a few minor incidents, or at least what you might consider relatively minor while the characters in the story might not, Casey's parents want to commit her to a mental institution to undergo therapy. Destined not to let his first true love being lobotomized and unnecessarily drugged, Matt and Casey hit the road like fugitives in love. The material is very routine, but there is something at least, from the principal actors' ability to carry it out well and, for the most part, believably (save some of Barrymore's poor delivery at points) and with minimal corniness. Best of all, it does a good job with getting you to stay connected to the characters. You feel a bit free-spirited yourselves when (if you're enjoying the movie, of course) Matt and Casey endure their hijinks. You get that connection when Casey is forced into the hospital; the uneasiness that Matt feels when he runs away with Casey; and the pressure that he faces throughout. At least they had effectively done that much.Not an impressive or all to memorable movie, though, as I said before, you should be pleased if you generally enjoy O'Donnell and Barrymore, or, if you're just a sucker for dreamy romantic dramas.
Dom Attwood
Story about a high-school senior, Matt Leland (Chris O'Donnell), who draws like a moth to a flame to maniac-depressive Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore). Together they go on a road trip against parental wishes after Matt heard Casey was brought to a psychiatric hospital due to her problems and helped her escape - him not seeing what was wrong with her at the time. Though this little film might not sound interesting enough to watch, which it really isn't at certain points in the story, you will find that if you pay enough attention to its subtle charm and unique script and direction, especially through the first half of picture, you can fully appreciate what makes it worth watching. The extent of this appreciation will most likely only go so far, however. The film's first hour is good, as well as the last six minutes, but the remaining half hour is uninteresting. Even though 'Mad Love' brought something a bit different to the table, if the star duo weren't in this project, it wouldn't be worth watching. See Barrymore at her sensual best in this one. Rating: Two out of Five Stars (Fair).
AD
