I think that the movie tries to show two things: 1. The way we become as human beings in society is shaped by our infancy. The situations that we were exposed as kids (violence, drugs, abuse, intolerance) mark our adulthood and unless we don't face it and do something about it there's no way we can live without it. 2. The second point is related to the first one. That is because no matter how far you run from your problems they'll run with you because you are the problem that has to be solved. It's a very touching movie that represents many problems through everyone of the people in the institution and how each one of them deal with their own problems. The direction of the movie shots always the face of the characters trying to let the audience see every expression everyone of them makes with every event that occurs in the mental institution.

While the jerky camera is a little off-putting at the beginning, it does add realism to the film, which considering the subject matter, suits it perfectly.The script is sharp as a tack, and the performances stellar, particularly from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, and the always reliable Don Cheadle.At turns brutal and heartbreaking, the film deserves kudos for its honest and unflinching portrayal of rage, the uncertainty of youth, cause and effect (from our actions and the actions of those around us), and the suffering of disturbed teens.Excellent movie. Highly recommended.

"Manic" follows teenager Lyle (Joseph Gorden-Levitt) as he is sent into therapy to work on his serious anger management problem, having nearly killed a boy at his school with a baseball bat. The film follows his relationships within the small group, comprising of teenagers suffering mostly from depression or similar anger issues.Similar to "thirteen" released a few years after this film, "Manic" was co-written by one of the teenagers (Michael Bacall) in the film (although presumably not from his own direct experiences) and this does give the script an authentic ring in terms of dialogue, subjects of discussion and a feel for contemporary American adolescence. Several genuine patients of similar therapy institutions play small roles here and the moments when they tell, presumably true stories, do lend an authentic feel. Unfortunately, the film never quite takes off dramatically. It's too stuck in 'realism' to turn into an outright escape narrative such as "One Flew..." or "Girl, interrupted". Lyle makes plans to escape and dreams of travelling to Europe but it never forms a central plot to the film. Similarly a tentative romance with a girl in the group, Tracey (the marvellous Zooey Deschanel) is downplayed. There are strong sub-plots, such as an ongoing feud with gangster wannabee Michael (a very good Elden Henson) but the film doesn't address the fundamental issues in these kids lives preferring to just address the direct group dymanics rather than digging deeper. In fact the most distressing story is of Kenny, Lyle's quiet room-mate, who it turns out was abused by his apparently normal, caring father. Holding the film together is a fantastic Don Cheadle, as Dr Monroe, the compassionate yet strict group leader. Cheadle manages to give a layered performance that shows an obvious connection to the kids in his care, professional skill at helping them, a mild touch of cynicism as to the extent people really can change and hints of battling problems of his own.It's an understandable decision not to over-dramatise events but by playing straight the film risks drifting into banality. The decision not to investigate in more depth the way the US, and Western world, relies on medication to control such teenagers is also a missed opportunity. The intrusive, mostly close-up DV filming does give that documentary feel to some extent, otherwise it's a little excessively jittery and some may find it distracting from the story and characters, rather than adding an emotional subjectivity.I would give this film a lower score but the performances by the majority of the cast are first class and there are some very emotional moments and scenarios. Gordon Levitt seems to be favouring these kind of messed up teenager roles and his performance is convincing. Zooey Descchanel yet again proves herself the best young actress around in a demanding role and as mentioned, Don Cheadle near steals the film and provides a much needed strong central foundation in an otherwise dramatically and thematically uncertain script.

I liked the content of the movie. The camera moving around so much was kind of a distraction but otherwise great performances. Zooey is definitely a sweetheart. Also, if anyone knows the listings for the soundtrack can you please let me know. I want the song where at the end of the movie Lyle is sitting at the bus stop and decides not to run and then hes walking back to the institution a song starts to play its all acoustic I believe. (what is it?)Manic was a touching film I liked how the friendships were built. Don Cheadle portrayed a therapist perfectly, hes really a great actor. I can say Manic is on my list of great films that include: Where the Buffalo Roam, Drugstore Cowboy, and Buffalo'66.