Manic 2001

Manic  2001

Recently I have been on a kick of watching a lot of indie and smaller films that have come out in the last 10 years.  Many of these I missed because I was in my 20s and entirely focused on being a expletive deleted, drinking, or trying my best to find an overly stuffed bosom to cram my head in.  Part of this kick brought me to a couple of films starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Manic (2001) and Brick (2005).  Brick will be reviewed soon, but I choose to order my chaotic mind chronologically so Manic is up first.  Manic was directed by
 Jordan Melamed and written by Micheal Bacall and Blayne Weaver.

First of all Manic has a solid cast of actors.  It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt a face we know and love from his early work on the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun.  More recently he has been in the hit Inception as well as rolls in movies I was not inspired by such as GI Joe and (500) Days of Summer.  This film from 2001 shows the earliest hints of his adult dramatic acting talents.  He plays the character Lyle Jensen, a teenager with severe anger issues and manic tendencies.  It is a serious and deep roll and he pulls it off brilliantly.

The rest of the cast is filled out with the award winning Don Cheadle and other recognizable faces like Elden Henson, Micheal Bacall and Zooey Deschanel.  The roles are exceptionally cast with Godron-Levitt and Deschanel pulling off teenagers with total believability.  The supporting roles look the part and turn in some great performances dealing the difficult subject matter of adolescent mental illness.

Don Cheadle plays Dr. David Monroe the councilor or therapist in charge of the juvenile psychiatric ward where Lyle is committed.  The character of Dr. Monroe is given some depth such as an addiction to smoking, but throughout most of the story he remains a foil to reflect the growth of Lyle.  Despite a limited role in depth, Dr. Monroe is given plenty of lines and on screen time.  Don Cheadle, as always, creates much more depth in the character than was written in the lines.  Cheadle's small acting choices add up throughout the film and culminate in a late movie outburst that is both jarring and moving.  Making Dr. Monroe the most memorable character in the film.

The plot revolves around Lyle, Gordon-Levitt, getting institutionalized after a violent fight where he seriously injured another boy.  Throughout his time in the juvenile psychiatric ward, Lyle's background and abuse are explored and he eventually learns valuable life lessons.  The story is one of exploration of abused adolescents and their resulting mental illnesses.  Lyle's father was abusive and violent, the exact problems that plague Lyle.  His love interest, Tracy played by Deschenal, was raped and Lyle's violence threatens to push her away.  Another character is obviously bi-polar and another appears to just suffer from deep depression due to her mother's indifference.

The plot progression is slow and lacking in serious curves or twists, but it remains interesting and moving.  The writing is sub par, but the acting saves the script.  The characters draw the audience in and helps them identify with the twin problems of being a teenager and suffering mentally illness.  The cinematography and technical aspects of the film are solid and show moments of creativity.  The most notable moment of genius is when the fourth wall is partially broken during a series of taped interviews culminating in a stellar moment by Don Cheadle.

Overall the movie is good with many of the short comings of lower budget films, but good acting and casting keeps the movie deep and engaging.  I would highly recommend this movie for teenagers and people who love dramatic character studies.