IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck). 101 minutes. Opens Friday (October 8). For venues, trailers and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
With this oddball dramedy about a suicidal teen (Keir Gilchrist) who has himself committed and lands in the adult psych ward of a New York hospital, directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck move out of the dramatic comfort zone they established in Half Nelson and Sugar and edge into intriguing new territory.
Gilchrist (United States Of Tara) is terrific as the confused young hero, and Zach Galifianakis as his would-be mentor finds new depths in his dull-eyed teddy bear persona. Playing a considerably more troubled peer on whom Gilchrist crushes, Emma Roberts finally shows signs that she can break beyond the generic pretty-girl roles that have defined her career to date.
These three actors may be the stars, but Boden and Fleck make sure we care about everyone else around them, too. Even the most peripheral supporting characters are defined as people rather than generic nut-house personalities. There isn’t a Nurse Ratched or a Billy Bibbit to be found here, just people.
And it’s thrilling to watch Boden and Fleck refuse to give in to the conventions of the snake-pit drama, instead using those raw building blocks to craft an original and engaging film.