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MANIC Rating:   (out of 5 stars)Director: Jordan Melamed Producers: Trudi Callon, Kirk Hassig Writers: Michael Bacall, Blayne Weaver Director of Photography: Nick Hay Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Cheadle, Michael Bacall, Zooey Deschanel, Cody Lightning, Elden Henson, Sara Rivas Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew |
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(Read the interview with the filmmakers of Manic)
Review by: Warren Curry
4/21/03
After being stuck in release limbo for quite some time now, it's encouraging that first-time director Jordan Melamed's Manic will soon unspool at a movie theater near you. An explosive, edgy look at a group of institutionalized teens, Manic feels very similar to many of the films bearing the Dogme seal of approval. Lead by the always-reliable Don Cheadle, the superb cast features a particularly inspired performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young protagonist, Lyle.
We meet Lyle as he's being checked into Northwood Mental Institution, against his will, after savagely assaulting a fellow teenager with a baseball bat. Stone-faced and virtually silent, Lyle cautiously navigates his new peer group that includes his equally quiet roommate, Kenny (Cody Lightning), an extremely introverted young woman named Tracey (Zooey Deschanel), a bi-polar veteran of the hospital, Chad (co-writer Michael Bacall), and Lyle's instant enemy, Michael (Elden Henson), a stocky white kid who thinks his life is a gangsta rap song. Presiding over the group is Dr. David Monroe (Don Cheadle), a reformed drug addict turned psychologist.
Not particularly plot-motivated, Manic explores the group dynamics amongst this cast of disturbed characters. Being the new kid, Lyle is initially the outsider in a group full of outsiders, but gradually begins to find acceptance within the ranks. His relationship to perpetually frightened roommate Kenny is almost like that of a big brother, and his feelings for Tracey eventually become romantic. It is Chad, though, who Lyle bonds with the most, and the two friends make far-fetched plans to move to Europe after their release from the institution as Chad claims he will be inheriting a large sum of money.
The interaction between Lyle and David is arguably the most captivating aspect of Manic. Not at all like Good Will Hunting's take on the psychiatrist/troubled young man give and take, Lyle's hardened exterior stands as the proverbial brick wall for David to try to break down. David's struggle to communicate with the alienated kids often seems on the road to progress, but writers Bacall and Blayne Weaver put a bleak spin on the ultimate effects of David's efforts.
Shot on digital video, Melamed's Dogme leanings work beautifully with the material. The emphasis is on naturalism and when dealing with such emotionally volatile subject matter, the decision to keep most of the shots brief steers the film away from awkward moments of hyper vulnerability. There are a few gawky scenes, most noticeably the mosh pit in the recreation room (sort of tipping its hat to Lord of the Flies) and Kenny's visit from his stepfather, but a lack of the overly dramatic should dispel too many One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest comparisons (although, because it's such an easy one, those comparisons will exist).
I don't watch much television, so I won't be the person to say I saw a star in Gordon-Levitt back in his Third Rock From the Sun days. As far as I'm aware, Manic marks the first time I've ever seen the young actor in action and he is fantastic. His performance carries the intensity of a caged tiger, and one that divulges the character's history purely via body language. Zooey Deschanel (All The Real Girls) seems to perform her best in more difficult roles and with some good career guidance perhaps she'll blossom to the point where she can politely decline to be involved in disasters such as Abandon. Don Cheadle's performance is similar to the one he delivered in Allison Anders' Things Behind The Sun, and it's intriguing to see him tap into areas he usually isn't asked to explore in his more high-profile work.
Experimental but not inaccessible, Manic is an intentionally raw, charged film that showcases a talented young director who acutely understands the dynamics of his script. And there's absolutely no way I can dismiss a movie in which one character, when discussing his musical tastes, declares his fondness for the legendary Minor Threat…but that's beside the point.
(An IFC Films release. Opens in NY on April 25, 2003 and in LA on May 9, 2003. Expands to more cities at later dates.)
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