MYST #3

Manic    Watch movie trailer here

I watched the film, Manic, as the third movie in my spare time. I absolutely loved this film. It captured everything it was attempting to capture, and conveyed a powerful message. It's a movie about Lyle Jensen, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is a troubled and angry person that is sent to treatment with others like him, so he can get help in fixing his life. While he's there, he gets in fights, learns about life, helps others, reinvents himself, and fixates on society's flaws. It was a very eye-opening film that addressed issues that aren't usually discussed. 

This was a low-budget film that didn't really make much money, but that's not what the directors and producers wanted out of it. Having Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel starring in the film, viewers would think it would be a "big-time Hollywood film," but they're wrong. It was made in 2001, before those two actors were as big as they are now, and shot on a low-budget using almost a shaky camera. I believe this was more effective in capturing the message because it really emphasized the gritty realism each character was facing. It helped highlight the trauma and pain that lead them to be there. The film was directed by Jordan Melamed, who doesn't have much experience directing, so he really did well with one of his first films.

The cinematic elements in this movie didn't necessarily make it great, but they were key factors. The way certain characters were lit on screen, helped the audience develop opinions and views on them. The good vs. evil with lighting was highlighted well. The cinematographer also did a good job at using up-close shots on objects/important things to either foreshadow an event or leave a message. Overall, I really liked this film and I would honestly give it a 5/5 star rating.