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This
is one of those films that you think about long after you
have left the cinema. Its
entertaining yet it covers a very serious topic - that of
teenage suicide. Bordering
on a 'docufilm' and for that reason its hard to give it a
rating , but if pushed i'de give it an average six.
The
three principal actors involved put on a fantastic show
considering their age,none more so than our own Cillian
Murphy and the excellent performance of Toby who gave
a most convincing accent of a Belfast boy.
The
story is set over the Christmas period in a Dublin
psychiatric hospital (actually St Lomans hospital) giving
an eerie realistic feel.
It starts of with Jonathon
(Murphy) stealing a car after his father’s funeral and
removing the urn containing his ashes and driving off the
edge of a cliff. The three actors all share a common
denominator that of loosing a close loved one.
During
the film as their characters expand, each tells his/her
own story of why they are in the institution. After
a failed suicide attempt, Jonathon is sent into care,
intent on changing
a few of the house rules he comes head to head with the in
house psychiatrist, Dr Figure (Stephen Rea).
Rea
must have studied how real psychiatrists work as he had
the 'presence' and statue of a real one. He was the
subject of much ridicule from Jonathon in the one to one
counselling sessions, which provided many a funny one
liner.
Rea..."If
you had the afternoon off, what would you do"?
Jonathon.."I
would go home, make myself a decent cup of coffee and cut
my head off with a chainsaw" They were playing mind
games with each other, somewhat reminiscent of "Good
Will Hunting" but Rea was superior to Robin Williams
part.
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In
the group therapy session he befriends Rachel, the
good looking American girl who was placed in the
institution by her father following her mothers jump
off a cliff. Rachel's problem was that she got 'off'
on cutting her self during sex in order to get
aroused... (each to their own) |
The
film follows the build up of this relationship and also
that of his best pal Toby played by Jackson who was quite
attracted to her as well.
19
year old Toby who was born and bred in the States, was in
the institution after his brother died in a car accident
in which he was driving... the account of his death was
quite harrowing and something that all of us wished we had
done to people who have
passed away... that of telling the how they feel about
them. Toby is quite a good looking guy is rated as one of
the top 50 best looking people in the USA and was
nominated for several TV Grammy's in the last few years.
Quite an achievement for such a young actor. He has
previously appeared in the TV series General Hospital and
is blessed with angel looks that give him a subtle
effeminate look.
The
director (Carney) has brought out the best in these young
actors and has treated the topic in a serious way whilst
providing some very entertaining moments, though he did
loose the plot totally when the new years party was
arranged for Rachel's fathers house. Like all the inmates
from the Looney bin descended on the place??????
The
party did provide the turning point for the film with the
death of Toby which left a void in everyone's life, if you
could call it life? It raised the true question about
suicide of "why they did it"
If
they survive, they are not going to tell you the
reason...... and if they don't, you are going to spend the
rest of your
life wondering was it anything you did or didn't do. And I
think we can all relate to that in some way.
Overall
then, quite a good film, well worth making the effort to
see, but how do u rate such subject matter?
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