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.
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.