Review of Girl, Interrupted (1999) by Eliza H — 31 Jul 2011

The gimmicky attempt at a 'feral' performance from Jolie doesn't save this film from being depressing, and not in the way it wants to be! Poor acting, and a portrayal of mental illness that does nothing to shake away sensationalism and Hollywood stereotype make this film far from the 'One Flew Out Of The Cuckoo's Nest' for women that it wants to be.

The voiceover, in Kaysen's words, has an intrigue and pathos which Winona Ryder's static portrayal of her cannot live up to. She does create a sense of vulnerability but really that is just channelled into feeding the story this film really ends up telling: impressionable girl becomes taken in by alluring dangerous girl, impressionable girl struggles to break free.