Review of It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) by Joel M — 20 Feb 2012

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is really kind of a sad & funny story on a mentally ill teenager and his five day experience in a mental hospital. It is no "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and maybe it is not authentic on what really happens in a mental hospital; but you know what, I fell kind of crazy in like with it. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" stars Keir Gilchrist as the aforementioned teen Craig who checks in a New York mental hospital after going through some turbulent and stressful teenage times. He meets numerous odd characters in New York, and then I guess he meets a few more in the mental hospital. Fortunately the film gets "zacked" with a few thespian uppers, and I am referring to the talents of Zach Galifianakis who plays mental patient Bobby, who befriends Craig and becomes his mental mentor; sort of speak. Craig takes a relative liking to Bobby and puts him on his Craig's "new friend" List; they have that? Anyways, Craig also meets Noelle, a good-looking female teen patient who might just want to get a little crazy with Craig. There are familiar teenage themes in the movie that we have all seen way too many times before in "coming of age" flicks: parental pressure, academic stress, self-esteem issues, seeking of independence, etc, etc, etc; but somehow in a place where people go or are sent to get better, it takes an innovative approach. The filmmaking duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck did an admirable job with their direction and screenplay of the movie; nothing to go nuts over, but it did work. Gilchrist was a bit too robotic in his starring role as Craig. Emma Roberts shined as the pretty young woman (yes, an Aunt Julia shout-out) Noelle. And great supporting help was also contributed by Viola Davis playing the hospital psychiatrist. I also enjoyed the entire supporting acting ensemble of all the actors who played mental patients in the film. But the movie belongs to Zach! Galifianakis' performance as Bobby was insanely hilarious and spot-on! "It's Kind of a Funny Story" will not make you laugh or cry out loud, but it will make you chuckle and uplift your mood, and that my friends, is what I call a real-deal cinematic anti- depressant.

**** Good.