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An MGM release. Written by Michael Bacall and Blayne Weaver; directed by Jordan Melamed; starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel and Elden Henson. Released to DVD on January 20, 2004.  Movies that are shot digitally have a much different feel to them than do their celluloid counterparts. Digital projects have a far more washed out color scheme to them. The reds and greens on-screen are muted and the white areas in the picture are almost always glaringly white. The images themselves are often grittier and flimsier than images captured on film. Most importantly though, digital projects have a way of bringing viewers extremely close to the situations on-screen. This happens namely because the pictures look so cheap and bouncy that most audience members feel they could have shot the material themselves at home on their camcorders, but nonetheless, the effect is real. The trouble is that not all projects need or want that kind of in-your-face feel. A lot of independent directors are turning down the opportunity to make their films because they don't want to shoot digitally. Manic's director Jordan Melamed is not one of these directors though. Melamed took full advantage of the gritty, washed out story at the heart of the script, shot the project digitally and never looked back. Unheard of in its theatrical release (if you blinked, you may have missed the week Manic topped out its run in 15 theaters nationwide), Manic is the remarkably endearing story of Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a teenager with an intense rage problem. After Lyle beats a fellow high school student within inches of death, he is offered two choices by the case's judge: he can be checked into the juvenile wing of a local mental institution, or he can face time in prison.  Manic succeeds for one major reason: it is an honest film. Written by co-stars Michael Bacall and Blayne Weaver, Manic is as real and as heartfelt an examination of manic-depressives as there can ever be. Another positive for Manic is that the characters don't feel hyperbolically inflated in any way. It is quite tempting for actors to go overboard in their roles when portraying alcoholics, people who are mentally challenged or who suffer from psychological disorders. It's an ironic twist for sure: the more an actor wants to be noticed, the worse his performance becomes. Much to their credit, the group of young actors showcased here (Zooey Deschanel, Elden Henson, Weaver, Bacall and Gordon-Levitt among others) always keeps their emoting under control and never seem to be trying to call attention to themselves on-screen. In the midst of the chaos and fury surrounding the group therapy sessions that Lyle and his fellow patients attend is the movie's one calming influence, Dr. David Monroe (Don Cheadle). A good man who is trying to make a difference, Monroe is the audience's tour guide and focal point. It is with him that we can identify. Cheadle brings Monroe's joys and sorrows to life and puts a sympathetic human element into the film. Manic is a simple movie with a simple goal. It wants to take its audience inside the lives of several manic-depressives in an honest and unhyped style. It is real, it is truthful and it is a genuine treat to watch.
jackson casey yes, it's true: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 2.3 million Americans suffer from manic-depressive illness (known also as bipolar disorder). |
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