Recently I watched It's Kind of a Funny Story, which is a movie adaptation of an amazing book by Ned Vizzini, who is a phenomenal writer. This movie, starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Roberts, was overall a good movie. IMDB gives it a 7.2 out of 10. This movie, even though it was released in theatres, is very indie.
There are three reasons as to why I say that: 1) It's about a very taboo subject, teen depression and suicide, which a lot of films are afraid to address because it's not a happy subject and happy subjects make money, 2) a fifteen year old says the f-word, which is actually quite normal but in the movie world, it's not, because that word usually makes the movie rated R, but this movie got away with a PG-13 rating, and 3) it takes place in a hospital, just like Girl, Interrupted, this movie will gain a following, who will then read the book and decide that the book is better.
There was a lot of casting against type, like Zack Galifianakis, who plays Bobby. I think because of his work in the Hangovers and Due Date and most of the projects that he has attached his name to that this role wasn't one of his normal ones. Bobby isn't meant to be funny, but Zach does a good job of taking the role seriously, which is something that we have literally never seen before. Jim Gaffagan, who is again known for comedy, such as TBS comedy series,My Boys. To see him as a father who is wound up too tightly, is not very believable. As for Keir Gilchrist, he was a let down, everything that I had hoped for in Craig's performance was sad and mildly ridiculous. He seems fine in the United States of Tara, however, in this, I felt that literally anyone would have been better. I didn't like who played Noelle (Emma Roberts) because she's not a very good actress, but I see how they could want to have her name attached to the project, because she is relatively well known and her aunt is Julia Roberts. Nia was played by Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz. The dialogue was great because most of it was taken straight from the book, but the actors were lacking. It seems like in casting it was just about whoever would take the work. The only one that I was happy with was Bernard White, who played Muqtada, Craig's Egyptian roommate and he's not even really Egyptian, he's from Sri Lanka. Overall, there is no contest. The book is better, but there is a scene near the end in which Muqtada is present; I will not ruin it because it is near the end. However this is an okay movie and if you really want to watch something interesting, watch it.
There are three reasons as to why I say that: 1) It's about a very taboo subject, teen depression and suicide, which a lot of films are afraid to address because it's not a happy subject and happy subjects make money, 2) a fifteen year old says the f-word, which is actually quite normal but in the movie world, it's not, because that word usually makes the movie rated R, but this movie got away with a PG-13 rating, and 3) it takes place in a hospital, just like Girl, Interrupted, this movie will gain a following, who will then read the book and decide that the book is better.
There was a lot of casting against type, like Zack Galifianakis, who plays Bobby. I think because of his work in the Hangovers and Due Date and most of the projects that he has attached his name to that this role wasn't one of his normal ones. Bobby isn't meant to be funny, but Zach does a good job of taking the role seriously, which is something that we have literally never seen before. Jim Gaffagan, who is again known for comedy, such as TBS comedy series,My Boys. To see him as a father who is wound up too tightly, is not very believable. As for Keir Gilchrist, he was a let down, everything that I had hoped for in Craig's performance was sad and mildly ridiculous. He seems fine in the United States of Tara, however, in this, I felt that literally anyone would have been better. I didn't like who played Noelle (Emma Roberts) because she's not a very good actress, but I see how they could want to have her name attached to the project, because she is relatively well known and her aunt is Julia Roberts. Nia was played by Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz. The dialogue was great because most of it was taken straight from the book, but the actors were lacking. It seems like in casting it was just about whoever would take the work. The only one that I was happy with was Bernard White, who played Muqtada, Craig's Egyptian roommate and he's not even really Egyptian, he's from Sri Lanka. Overall, there is no contest. The book is better, but there is a scene near the end in which Muqtada is present; I will not ruin it because it is near the end. However this is an okay movie and if you really want to watch something interesting, watch it. 
No comments:
Post a Comment