'It's Kind of a Funny Story' stars Keir Gilchrist and Zach Galifianakis, whose chemistry saves the average indie flick. Melancholy 16-year-olds are the ideal audience for "It's Kind of a Funny Story," which actually feels as though it were made by an especially precocious adolescent.
This romanticized vision of mental instability comes to us from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the team behind 2006's acclaimed "Half Nelson." Strong performances help keep the not-so-funny story -- based on a novel by young adult novelist Ned Vizzini -- grounded.
Keir Gilchrist plays Craig, a student at a competitive Brooklyn high school. Stressed out and misunderstood by his parents (Jim Gaffigan, Lauren Graham), an overwhelmed Craig commits himself to a local psych ward.
Almost immediately, he realizes the madness of this desperate act. But he's calmed by his therapist (Viola Davis), who suggests he try and learn from the experience. Soon enough, life lessons arrive in the form of the beautiful Noelle (Emma Roberts) and suicidal sage Bobby (an effectively somber Zach Galifianakis). The former provides Craig with his first romance; the latter becomes his unlikely role model.
It's tough to appreciate this gauzy view of mental illness, which is presented as a personality quirk easily overcome. But Gilchrist proves an engaging hero, while Galifianakis expands his range with gratifying results. Their chemistry infuses some touching sensitivity into an otherwise average indie fairy tale.
No comments:
Post a Comment