Reel Deal: Interrupted, earns Jolie critical acclaim
By TARA DEMPSEY and RYAN LEACH
Winona Ryder stars as Susanna Kaysen, an 18-year-old woman who was sent to a mental hospital after trying to commit suicide in Girl, Interrupted. The movie is based on the book by Kaysen, in which she offers an account of her stay at a psychiatric hospital in 1967.
As Susanna struggles to adapt to her new surroundings and sees the (obviously crazy) girls around her, she has trouble understanding why she is in the ward in the first place. It is up to her to decide what her "illness" is and to take control of her life.
Susanna meets Lisa (Angelina Jolie) and the two become friends, while Susanna is counseled by doctors and the wise nurse Valerie (Whoopie Goldberg).
RYAN'S REVIEWWhat happens when you cross the great One Flew Over the Cucko's Nest and Thelma and Louise? You get the very good, very passionate Girl, Interrupted.
About half way through the movie I wasn't sure how much I liked it; however, after it was over, I reassessed the movie and I thought it was very good. Interrupted is one of those films that gradually encompass you, and before you know it, you are feeling exactly what the characters are feeling. If you try to critique this movie in parts, it won't standout, but when you view the finished product it packs a punch.
The movie was led by an outstanding performance by Jolie (John Voight's daughter). She plays the Jack Nicholson rebel of the ward. Jolie has already been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and is the front runner for an Academy Award along with Chloe Sevigny for Boy's Don't Cry. Adjacent to the good acting, Interrupted has a great sound track with numerous '60s hits and some very inventive flashback sequences.
There wasn't anything that I disliked about this movie. Interrupted does a great job evoking emotions in the audience, which is why the actors' performances were stellar. It barely missed my top movie list for the year, coming in at number 11. B+
TARA'S TAKEI should let the guys out there know that even though the cast of Girl, Interrupted is about 90 percent female, it isn't your everyday chick flick. In fact, it's pretty fun. Ryder does a great job of playing Kaysen and looking completely vapid and lost when she first enters the mental hospital. She positions herself as an observer of the "games" which go on in the ward and then as an active participant.
The minute Lisa (Jolie) steps onto the screen she has the audience's attention - she's screaming and shouting and she never really loses her spunk, which makes the movie very entertaining. Jolie is bold, exciting, unpredictable and a great contrast to Ryder's isolated journal-writing Susanna.
I need to back Ryan up and agree that the soundtrack is great. There were also a number of scenes where the audience erupted with laughter - and, of course, there were a few intense scenes as well (but it wouldn't be any fun if I gave those away, now would it?)
Though the movie is about Kaysen's stint in a mental ward, it is frustrating because there is no real plot line, other than her struggle to figure out exactly why she's there and how she can be released. Other than that minor problem, I found it very enjoyable. B/B+