Portraying mental illness on screen leaves filmmakers vulnerable to all sorts of issues.
Mocking the unfortunate can be cruel, and depression is hardly exhilarating to watch on screen.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” brushed past those concerns to become a modern classic.
That won’t be the case with “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” a transparent lark with only one Cuckoo worth caring about.
“The Hangover’s” Zach Galifianakis proves he’s more than just a bearded clown. Watching him stretch is the chief reason to endure this cutesy coming of age yarn.
Young, confused Craig (Keir Gilchrist) checks himself into a mental hospital when he feels suicidal urges. He figures he just needs a day away from his troubles and his intrusive but loving family. The facility’s administrators insist he stay for at least five days.
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That leaves him to mingle with his fellow residents, including a Hasidic Jew who hates noise and an Egyptian man who refuses to leave him room – or even his bed.
Laughing yet?
Craig does bond with Bobby (Galifianakis), a patient who appears normal on the surface but is dealing with rage issues tied to his estranged family. Bobby sees something worth saving in Craig, but audiences will struggle to do the same. Gilchrist, who resembles Keanu Reeves circa the “Bill & Ted” daze, isn’t given much angst to work with. Yes, navel-gazing teens often think the world is collapsing around them, but the filmmakers don’t contextualize Craig’s pain beyond core teen woes.
The “Story’s” set-up, based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, holds promise. But we’re left without sharp dialogue or interesting character revelations. And the film literally stops cold for an inconsequential musical sequence that puts the filmmakers’ own mental stability in question. You’d have to be mad to allow such a ill-fitting moment to make the final cut.
Emma Roberts appears to give Craig a love interest, but the budding romance never resonates despite the actress’ plucky appeal. And squeezing in another potential flame, the girlfriend of Craig’s best pal, only muddies the narrative.
That leaves Galifianakis, a screen comedian on the cusp of stardom. This “Story” won’t factor in his ascent, but it shows he can convey more than a charmingly silly demeanor. He flashes anger and violence a few times as Bobby, moments where your forced to consider the actor anew.
“It’s Kind of a Funny Story” will likely be forgotten once “Due Date” arrives. That film returns Galifianakis to more familiar comic terrain, the odd couple road movie. But with “Story” he shows his career won’t necessarily be a laughing matter.
(Photo: Keir Gilchrist (left) and Zach Galifianakis (right) star in writer/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” a Focus Features release. Photo credit: K.C. Bailey)
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I am disappointed. I had hopes for this flick because I like Galifianakis and Gilchrest. I still will probably still see it, but warily.