Manic Details

First-time director Jordan Melamed tips his hat to the Dogme school of film-making with this gruelling exploration of teen psychosis. Shot on hand-held digital video, this naturalistic feature strives for documentary-style reality. The loose story unfolds in the adolescent wing of a psychiatric institution, where 17-year-old Lyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has been sent after viciously attacking a classmate. Under the watchful eye of recovering drug addict Dr Monroe (an impressive Don Cheedle), Lyle and his fellow patients confront their personal demons during group therapy. The subsequent outpourings and repercussions run the gamut of emotions, as the youngsters tragically switch from boredom and apathy, to hyper-activity and violence. However, though the performances are accomplished, the film remains sterile and tediously banal. Melamed tries too hard to be cutting-edge, while his characters never develop beyond their stereotypes. Still it's refreshing to be spared the rose-tinted salvation of films such as Girl, Interrupted, even if this would have benefited from more heart and a tighter script.

A teen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest filmed like The Idiots (on DV, vérité-style), Manic confidently establishes... read more on Time Out