SnoopyStyle
Lyle Jensen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) gets into a violent fight bashing another kid with a baseball bat. His mother commits him to the Northwood Mental Institution run by Dr. David Monroe (Don Cheadle). He gets put into a group with other youths. He fights violent Mike. His roommate Kenny is quiet. He falls for Tracey (Zooey Deschanel) who has night terrors. Chad is a manic depressive. Sara has anger issues.This is trying very hard to be ultra-reality with its documentary shaky-camera style and gritty characters. The non-actors look like they've been in group therapy. I've never been in one and I can't discern its veracity. I expected a smoking area and some of the kids dealing with addiction problems. Its main drawback is a lack of a story structure. It may be helpful to have a ticking clock. It's a scattershot effect with everybody's problems. These are interesting performers taking on an acting course challenge. The girl who cuts is probably the best amateur. Gordon-Levitt is showing off his big time skills. The acting is solid but the movie doesn't rise beyond that.
Daniel Micon
This film was really good, not for the storyline as that was quite average but because of the performances of everyone in it, main or side characters. Joseph Gordon-Levitt can definitely carry this movie. His performance as Lyle the teenager with the uncontrollable rage who doesn't believe he should be in a institute. Also It was good to see a role of Zooey Deschanel that didn't irritate me.The only thing that slightly annoyed me in this was the camera work, some bit were good then in the next shot the camera was all over the place shaking. The director also used close ups a lot especially of the characters eyes. The quality of the film was good I liked the fact it was all recorded on a Sony PD150 digital camera.
DemiRonin
Manic centers around Lyle, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a teenager with a furious and uncontrollable rage. At the beginning of the film Lyle gets sent to an psychological institute for bashing a boy's head in with a bat when the boy made fun of his father. Now confined against his will Lyle must learn to control his rage with a looney bin of kids whom he thinks are below him. Don Cheadle plays the in house psychologist who struggles daily to keep his kids from tearing at not only each other the but even the facility. This film has some amazing performances by all the entire cast, they are as realistic as they are powerful. From the white guy who pretends he's black and such a thug, to the sexually abused and the suicidal. All the youngin here provide true and deep portrayals of their scarred characters. I would like to note that Don Cheadle does a really good job in conveying a person who not only wants to help these kids but who's armor is not thick enough to have some deep scars of his own from their interactions. However the film is just terribly directed (non acting wise). The shooting method which seems to resemble really poor standard DV with amateurish framing and panning doesn't meld with his editing style. There are sections of the film where it lingers on basketball scenes or scenes of mayhem but the cinematography is all close ups and zooms of artsy things like birds or eyeballs. This film had great potential, but a little bit more planning for pace and shot selection would have done miracles. Manic has both realistic elements and very artsy elements, and a strong choice in one direction would have made for a better and more cohesive film.
drDuya
A film that not everybody knows which maybe is a good thing.I will be honest. I only wanted to watch this movie because it was Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first movie together prior to (500) Days of Summer. I expect Joseph's bright face smiling all through the film with no care in the world and Zooey's aura just lightening up the whole set with her beautiful blue-ish, green-ish, grey-ish eyes (frankly, despite practically worshiping her, I don't really know her eye color). My God was I wrong.This movie made me scared of Gordon-Levitt. Seeing him in (500) Days of Summer, I thought he was a crazy loony and like every other guy who has watched (500) Days of Summer, saw ourselves in him. But Lyle, the character he plays is not a pleasant one.I've only seen Zooey Deschanel's big movies like Elf, (500) Days of Summer, Yes Man etc. and only seen her characters in a more of a calm type of person. I never seen her in an intense emotion as I did in Manic. I felt sympathetic for her character. Also her appearance was real just as everyone else in the film. I think they didn't have a make department for the film and I think it was intentional.As for Don Cheadle, he is Don Cheadle, what more can I add? The plot is a roller coaster ride of emotions, most of them practically being negative. Its a psycho thriller that will have you shaking with rage.Overall, the movie is real. The camera is in weird angles and made me a little dizzy but that's just the effect. Everyone looked greasy but that's what the intention was. The theme is great, good to anybody especially any young adult who is facing issues in life. The ending has an important symbolism that will have the viewer sorting out his/her life.
AD
