It's Kind Of A Funny Story (9.5/10)

This film truly won me over. I'd say it's been a while, but that's not true. "Midnight In Paris", "Black Death" and "Bringing Out The Dead" did it recently. So "It's Kind Of A  Funny Story" will just be added to that list, that's still pretty great. Here is a movie, you (or at least I did) start with skepticism, but it sweeps the floor with you and you don't want it to end. Funny, smart, caring, emotional, powerful, and life changing (to a extent) are many of the things I can say about this movie. It's very original with it's ideas and will keep you wanting more. This film is kind of a funny story, but aren't those strange things that make everything so wonderful every now and then.

So we meet Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist, like the film, he won me over) and the kid has problem. He's depressed and thinking about killing himself. Craig has dreams of jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge with his family showing up worrying about the bike he rode there. He has a dream worse than usual and rides his bike to the hospital to get some help. He says that his family and friends can't help him and that worries him. So the doctor commits him to a psych ward for 5 days to get some help (Craig was hoping for pills). With the help of Bobby (Zach Galifianakis in a performance to bruise your heart) and some others Craig may learn something about himself. Well what makes this better is the crazy fantasies Craig has. He thinks in elaborate patterns about what his school is like, his friends, or a musical self-help activity that spices up the film wonderfully. The supporting characters all have brilliant life too. Bobby is depressed as well, he's tried to kill himself six times. He has a little daughter he loves with all his damaged heart. Bobby doesn't know what to do, his first goal is a place to live once he gets out. This proves a problem and he takes it as something that reflects his own life. Craig will help him as much as Bobby will help Craig. There's also Noelle (Emma Roberts showing she may prove to be as great as her aunt Julia Roberts), another teen in the ward. She's a very pretty girl but with some big problems too. She's a cutter and has scars over her body. However that doesn't mean she's anything but a kind person. She sees a little deed Craig does a decides play an amusing question game. Craig starts to have feelings for her (of course) but the actors, characters, and plot lets rooting for them be easy. It won't be simple, especially with Craig being in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Well life isn't that simple either as Craig sees as well.

This is truly a fantastic film. Craig's personal problems I feel are something any teen suffers at one point. It has different levels with Craig being high on the list. He's just as scared about his future and where he belongs as much as I am at times. It's a film that's easy to understand the problems and the characters may as well be speaking to the audience as well as each other at times. I should have expected this from Ryan Fleck, director of the phenomenal "Half Nelson", glad he hasn't lost his talent. This is a movie to pick you up off those heavy feet and let that racing mind get some peace.

9.5/10
Recommendation: A movie about suicidal people in a psych ward may keep some a way. It shouldn't because this is a terrific movie. Really something to treasure.
Note: Craig is lucky character to have somebody like Noelle interested in him. A kind and interesting girl. Plus a huge amount of points (inside joke from the movie) that she's a big fan of Radiohead, The Pixies and Joy Division.