It's Kind of a Funny Story

This is a slightly fun movie, but do not expect laughing your guts out. It's a almost a teenage romantic comedy placed in a different environment than the regular college movies. It has good characters and decent casting,and they will grow on you easily. Also, I appreciate such characters that are very enjoyable even if they don;t have more than 2-3 lines, such as Muqtada or Solomon. You may not remember this movie next year, but you might be hearing a friend sayin to you "get up, Muqtada" if you don;t want to get up from your bed :). This is a good 2010 movie, with a low budget,low commercial expectations but with great feedback. Despite dealing with depression issues, the atmosphere is positive and delivers a good feel at the end. Nice to see this kind of movies from time to time.

I guess i went into this movie with high expectations. As far as the storyline goes, this movie is about an upper-middle class "Emo" kid who is depressed because he couldn't get a girl, then he goes to a mental hospital helps people out, figure out his problems and then everything is fine. It's your classic feel good movie, but it lacks realness, I would guess that the writers only connection to psychology was a college course they were required to take. Not only did i detest the writing, I also felt the acting was horrendous, with the exceptions of Zach Galifianakis and Jeremy Davies. I think they spent too much money casting Zach and then "cheaped" out on casting for the characters Craig and Noelle. I also felt there was a lack of chemistry with Craig and Noelle, it's like the whole thing was phony. Overall, if you do decide this, go in with low expectations. You'll either find it more enjoying or you'll see where I'm coming from.

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are, in this reviewer's opinion, the best writer / director team working in film today. Both Half Nelson and Sugar (Which made my top 5 for 2008) were good and here they go more mainstream and produce a simple yet vibrant low-fi comedy. If you go expecting the Hangover, a full on comedy, then this might take some adjusting to - it is more than that. It reminded us most of the same vibe Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist had. Craig (Keir Gilchrist) is an angsty teen and checks himself into a psych ward for 5 days. He is excellent, like a cross between Justin Long and Michael Cera and should get good work off the back of this. Here Craig meets the wizened Bobby (Zack Galifianakis), who has a complete emotional range here, his hangdog is perfect and watched closely you'll see every thought and facial gesture with real pleasure, and a teenage girl his age, Noelle (Emma Roberts). The supporting cast have groupworked this really well and it all just gels nicely. The film is a journey of self- discovery. What lifts this is it doesn't have a mean bone in its body yet delivers beautifully - this film is firstly, optimistic about pessimism and abounds with humor, laughter, and originality, and secondly, Fleck again coxes the the actors to simply act, without excess. It does a wonderful balancing act of making us see the world afresh too. In addition to all this it is totally refreshing to see a teen movie that is about teens and their world and not just another slapstick sex comedy. I could only wish for 20 films a year like this, rather than the cookie cutter production values that govern Hollywood. The common trait in all three films are honesty, struggle, and eventually, something more. That's three in a row for Fleck / Boden - and I, for one, can't wait to see the fourth...

This is one of the most rewarding pictures I've seen in a long time. It's a breath of fresh air from the usual mainstream hokum, mixing black comedy and dry humor with genuine warmth and empathy. It's a movie you don't want to end, but when it does, you kinda want to give it a big hug. There are no cheap laughs or lame gags here - the humor bubbles along like an undercurrent, echoing real life. Life is a constant source of amusement - we just have to recognize the fact and tap into it sometimes. The storybook device, where the protagonist speaks directly to the audience, was perfectly weighted, cutting in at just the right moment to pace the movie and remind you of the pretext. All the characters were well-rounded and authentic - I was particularly impressed that Craig's psychiatrist was played totally straight. The temptation to have her do or be something slightly crazy or contrived must have been great, but it was thankfully resisted. Likewise, the inmates of the psychiatric ward - there's a charming and utterly believable sense that everyone's a bit off kilter, rather than jokingly deranged. The patients in the film aren't the butt of the joke - society and its proclivities are. That said, as a British viewer, I found it more difficult to appreciate how academia and peer pressure drive school-kids to anti-depressants and therapy - and for them to be impressed by the fact. I probably missed some of the main messages and in-jokes of the film, being from Yorkshire, rather than New York. Nevertheless, I don't think you can fail to love this film. Zach Galifianakis is adorable, Emma Roberts is gorgeous and Keir Gilchrist manages to combine confusion and teenage erudition superbly. If nothing else, you have to love the self-indulgent interludes, especially the 3D animation through Craig's fictional, line-drawn world and the wonderfully camp group performance of 'Under Pressure'. The soundtrack is spot on right to the last - who knew traditional Egyptian music could be the saving grace?

Greetings again from the darkness. Attended a screening last evening and came away a bit surprised. The preview, thanks in part to Ida Maria's blaring "Oh My God", had me convinced this was going to be a typical slapstick teen comedy. Instead, co-writers and co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck deliver a black comedy-drama that has appeal to both teens and grown-ups. The story revolves around Craig, a 16 year old who is feeling depressed and suicidal given the pressures of a relentless father, looming college entrance exams and a screwed up social life. You are right if you are thinking this sounds like just about every 16 year old on the planet. The difference here is that Craig checks himself into a psych ward ... he ends up in the adult wing, as the teen wing is undergoing renovations. Craig is played by Keir Gilchrist, who I can best describe as a young Keanu Reeves clone, only too smart rather than too clueless. Since this is a comedy, you can imagine the characters who fill the ward. Craig bonds with Bobby, played by Zach Galifianakis, who seems happy to play the mentor role for Cool Craig, but just can't seem to find the strength to live his own life. Of course, we also get the emotionally damaged hot girl played exceptionally well by Emma Roberts (daughter of Eric, niece of Julia; Nancy Drew). The film accepts its own stereotypes for the other characters with labels such as "the schizophrenic". The message of the film seems to be that we all go through stages of doubt and uncertainty, and the best "cure" is to somehow remove the stress and discover our real talents and personality. You may end up creating art in the form of a brain map, or even a music video of Bowie/Queen's "Under Pressure" (an elaborate inset to the film). The filmmakers appeared to struggle with where their line was for the direction of the story. With previous films "Half-Nelson" and "Sugar", my guess is their vision was a much more complex and darker script rather than the final version which has more mass appeal. The Zach Galifianiakis character specifically, seemed poised to make a real statement. Instead we are left with his reserved, knowing smile as Craig presents him a gift and the hope of getting together for ping pong. Also, not much story is given to Emma Roberts and her penchant for cutting herself. She seems magically cured after a roof top encounter with Craig. Anyway, the comedy sections are more successful than the drama sections, provided you are able to find humor in the illness and weakness of others. This is certainly not at the level of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but it is an entertaining film from a comedic perspective. It will probably be remembered as Zach Galifianiakis fist role where he flashed some real acting chops, and hopefully as Emma Roberts breakout role.

I don't think they even tried. More effort was put into the advertising of this movie than actually went into the production of the movie itself. Nothing of interest ever happens, the main characters are flat and uninteresting themselves. I kept waiting for the fat guy from The Hangover to say or do something funny, but it never happened. I didn't hear a single person in the theater laugh one single time, but I did notice several people leave and not come back in. How this thing currently has a 7 star rating on IMDb is unfathomable. This movie isn't worth a $1 Redbox rental, let alone the $6 matinée ticket I paid. If this was an independent low budget art film I would give it a higher rating, but this is inexcusable trash for a mainstream movie. Do yourself a favor and wait the two weeks for this waste of time to come out on free TV, because this isn't even worth watching for free, and you'll likely change the channel to Mexican midget wrestling after the first ten minutes of this unfunny, undramatic movie that fails to entertain on any level whatsoever.

It has been a long time since I walked out on a movie. Time to reset that counter. Having read the other reviews, I wonder if we saw the same movie. They lip sync "under pressure". What self-respecting movie has lip syncing? Acting was poor, characters unbelievable and the script had nothing to say. I was not alone in walking out. It took no convincing the group that our time would be better spent watching...jackass. Yes this was that bad. The ending must have been something ground breaking to generate good reviews. Maybe the secret to life? It seemed to imply Truth was only a moment, perspective, or enlighten conversation away. The crazy man that sees truth is an overworked and boring concept. Maybe this film was made for kids just experiencing this idea.

Craig (Keir Gilchrist) is depressed. Although his parents (Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan) are nice, they are a mildly over-achieving duo who try to gently push their teenage son in a certain direction. This means going to a competitive high school and following a specific curriculum. But, even though Craig is quite intelligent, his stress level is very high and he dreams of "jumping off a bridge". One morning, before sunrise, he sneaks out of the house to contemplate his own suicide but ends up going to a hospital emergency room. The teen insists they admit him. They do. However, the adolescent ward is undergoing renovations and doesn't have room for Craig. Instead, he is placed in the adult psych ward, with a nearly catatonic roommate, Muqtada (Bernard White). In short order, Craig wants to go home but his new shrink, Dr. Eden (Viola Davis) says that is impossible, he must remain for five days. Fortunately, he soon makes friends with an affable patient named Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and casts his eye on a lovely young female Noelle (Emma Roberts), who bears telltale scars on her wrists. These three strike up a friendship, with Bobby schooling Craig on how to "dress up like an employee" and leave the ward, at least temporarily! It is quickly evident, however, that Bobby has some dark secrets, as does Noelle, and Muqtada seems to be going nowhere fast. Can Craig get the help he needs, even as he helps others? This is a lovely film which highlights the topic of mental illness in a sensitive, intelligent way. Yes, there are patients with more severe troubles than others but all remain part of the human race, as shown here. The cast is great, with Gilchrist doing a fantastic job as the film's main character. Galifianakis, Roberts, Davis, and especially White, do great work too, as do all of the lesser actors. The setting is fairly limited, as most of the action takes place in the hospital, and the costumes are suitably drab, although Roberts looks very pretty in whatever she wears. Then, too, the script is comically insightful while the direction and camera work are quite nice. All in all, if you are hoping to watch a great film that touches the heart, with depth, view this one kind of soon.

♡

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