Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Neil Welch Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levit) is a teenager with anger issues who, having nearly killed another boy with a baseball bat, is put into a specialist unit, along with a number of other troubled teens, under the guidance of Dave (Don Cheadle).I have to go along with those who say that this film is perfectly cast, and that the performances are powerful and faultless - this is true. And I also have to say that it successfully evokes the documentary feel it is going for (although, personally, I do like the use of a tripod now and then).But I also have to say that there was little in the way of narrative thrust, to the extent that I found it quite boring for a lot of the time. And it was also dispiriting and lacking in hope. I suppose One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is the obvious comparison in terms of subject matter, and the mildly optimistic ending here (at least I assume that is what it is, because it is far from obvious) does not compare with the flight of freedom which flies out of the nightmare at the end of Cuckoo's Nest.The undoubted talent on show here does not make this a rewarding viewing experience. Having watched it once I have no wish to watch it again, and I do not recommend it.

BernardoLima Manic tells the story of Lyle Jensen,played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,who is subject of sudden and violent outbursts. He is committed to the juvenile wing of the Northwood Mental Institution.There he meets several other young kids who suffer from a variety of problems.There is Chad(played by Michael Bacall) who suffers from an acute manic-depressive disorder; the self-mutilating Tracy ( Zoey Deschanel) who was once raped and now has trouble sleeping at night, tough-guy Mike (Henson) who asserts himself through violence bullying everyone around him; and the shy, diminutive Kenny (Lightning) who was sexually abused by a family member.Don Cheadle plays the well intentioned Dr. David Monroe who tries to help this kids trough group therapy sessions where they're suppose to explore their feelings and understand the consequences of their acts. As the movie goes on we learn how the behavior of some of the kids is just a consequence from bad parenting and how some of them are just the product of today's society.Manic is definitely interesting; the entire film was shot by a hand-held digital camera and the director uses a lot of close up's to really demonstrate the emotion of a character at a certain time and it works very well. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered a great performance and so did Don Cheadle. I just wish the director/writers had explored the mind of the characters and the human psyche a bit more.That could have made a very interesting and fascinating film.There's definitely a lot of potential here but it could have been took to another completely different level.6.5/10

elderlemon2003-1 While the jerky camera is a little off-putting at the beginning, it does add realism to the film, which considering the subject matter, suits it perfectly.The script is sharp as a tack, and the performances stellar, particularly from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, and the always reliable Don Cheadle.At turns brutal and heartbreaking, the film deserves kudos for its honest and unflinching portrayal of rage, the uncertainty of youth, cause and effect (from our actions and the actions of those around us), and the suffering of disturbed teens.Excellent movie. Highly recommended.

jotix100 The group of teen agers that are staying in an institution for troubled youths, come from all kinds of backgrounds and problems. All of them are the byproducts of a society in which parents have failed these kids in one way or another. Each one of the kids in the story could have never landed in this private mental facility with the kind of positive nurturing that responsible parents give their children.It is indeed a motley crew we meet. When we first see Lyle, he is seen in an incident where he beats another teen with a bat and almost kills him. Tracy has been raped and screams at night. Kenny, the sensitive boy, sharing a room with Lyle, has been molested by his step-father. Michael, the rap fan, thinks and acts as though he was black. Chad, who soon will be leaving the place is a boy that should not be released to the outside world.We get to hear all their stories as the well intentioned Dr. Monroe guide them thorough sessions of group therapies. They all bring their own baggage to the encounters and don't open up in the way the therapist would like them to, yet, it's clear these sessions have a profound effect on all of them.The film, which was shown on cable recently, deserves an audience as its director, Jordan Melamed shows an affinity for the material written for the movie by Michael Bacall, who also plays Chad, and Blayne Weaver. The director and the cinematographer, Nick Hay, captured nuanced performances by everyone in the cast. The film utilizes the close up technique to emphasize all the emotions running at any given moment among the inmates.Don Cheadle, a magnificent actor, plays Dr. Monroe with conviction. Mr. Cheadle deserves credit for always making the best of all his characters he has played, as he brings a dignity and vulnerability to his roles. Joseph Gordon Levitt is also another reason for watching the film. His Lyle is a study in contrasts. Zooey Deschanel makes a good impression with her Tracy. Michael Bacall is intense as Chad. Elden Henson, always a good addition to any films makes Michael, a bully, work. Cody Lightning is also good as the taciturn Kenny.This is a film posing some serious issues and makes the viewer think. It also shows a good director at work, Jordan Melamed, who will go to bigger and better things, no doubt.